









Class 



Book_ 

Copyright N?_ 


COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 






































SUCCESSFUL 
SELLING of the 

SELF SEX SERIES 


Vy 

SYLVANUS STALL 


‘ ‘ Luck is a fool , 
Pluck is everything ’ 


PRICE $1.00, NET 


The Vir Publishing Co. 

1303-1304 LAND TITLE BUILDING 
PHILADELPHIA, PA., U. S. A. 


LONDON BRANCH, 7 IMPERIAL BLDG., 
LUDGATE CIRCUS, LONDON, E. C., ENG. 














LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two CoDies Received 

NAT 24 t90 r 


<0 Copyright Entry 

ya^.^r, for* 7 

MASS A xxc„ H6, 

U/LLS^f 

COPY B. ' 



Copyright, 1907, by SYLVANUS STALL. 


Entered at Stationers’ Hall, London, England. 

Protected by International copyright in Great Brit¬ 
ain and all her colonies, and, under the provi¬ 
sions of the Berne Convention, in Belgium, 
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, 
Tunis, Hayti, Luxembourg, Monaco, Monte¬ 
negro, and Norway. 


ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 
[PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES.] 





TABLE OF CONTENTS 


The figures used indicate not the page but the 
paragraph. 


CHAPTER I. 

SUCCESS AND FAILURE. 

Success, 401.—Importance of studying Canvassers 
Instructions, 402.—Why other canvassers fail, 
403.—Why our canvassers succeed, 404.—Our 
books deserve success, 405.—Why some can¬ 
vassers fail, 406 .Pp. 19-22 


CHAPTER II. 

PREPARATION. 

Is this business worth preparing for, 407.—Time 
necessary to prepare, 408.—Realizing the needs 
for the books, 409.—Realizing the merits of the 
books, 410.—Failure versus experience, 411.— 
Requisites in a good canvasser, 412.—The rem¬ 
edy for early discouragement, 413 ....Pp. 23-27 


CHAPTER III. 

PREPARATION OF THE MIND. 

Importance of mental attitude, 414.—Determina¬ 
tion to succeed, 415.—Importance of earnestness 
and how to manifest it, 416.—-Realize your ob¬ 
ligation, 417.—'Knowing the books thoroughly 
and what you are talking about, 418—Great 
essentials, 419.—Lessons on success in life, 
420 ... Pp. 28-34 





COX TENTS. 


CHAPTER IV. 

PHYSICAL PREPARATION. 

Importance of physical culture, 421.—Time re¬ 
quired daily, 422.—Results of physical culture, 
423.—Food, 424.—Boarding place, 425.—Your 
room, 426.—Your evenings, 427.—Weariness, 
discouragement and despondency, 428. Pp. 34-40 


CHAPTER V. 

THE FIELD. 

The choice of a field, 429.—Preparing to enter the 
field, 430.—Entering the field, 431.—Commen¬ 
dations of pastors, 432.—Pulpit announcements, 
433.—Announcements in the papers. 434.—Class 
canvassing, 435.—Heading your subscription 
with prominent names, 436.—How to persuade 
leading people, 437.—Preparation and use of 
testimonials and list of subscribers, 438.—Town¬ 
ship canvassing, 439.—Canvassing in the home 
field, 440.—Canvassing colleges and schools, 
441.—Cards of introduction, 442.—Canvassing 
by congregations, 443.—Secretaries of Young 
Men’s Christian Associations, 444.—Keeping up 
your study of the instructions, 445 .. Pp. 41-59 


CHAPTER VI. 

BEGINNING THE WORK. 

The importance of right beginning, 446.—Per¬ 
sonal appearance, 447.—Looking inward, 448.— 
Have faith in yourself, 449.—Be an optimist 
not a pessimist, 450.—Speak the truth at all 
times, 451.—Be patient at all times, 452.—At¬ 
tention to business, 453.—The right use of the 
voice, 454.—How to carry your books, 455.— 
Handling the books, 456.—“Working” the 
books, 457.—Canvassers’ formulas, 458.—Prac¬ 
ticing the canvassers’ formulas, 459. .Pp. 60-75. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER VII. 

SECURING A HEARING. 

The three steps in successful canvassing, 459.— 
Knowing your customer, 460.—Approaching the 
house, 461.—The salutation, 462.—Meeting busy 
people, 463.—The honest eye, 464.—Which 
book to present, 465.—Undivided attention, 466. 
—Studying people before you get to them, 467. 
—Getting started, 468.—Getting in and getting 
started, 469 .Pp. 76-89 


CHAPTER VIII. 

CREATING THE DESIRE. 

The auspicious moment, 470.—Your customer 
knows nothing about the books, 471.—Canvass¬ 
ing people in groups, 472.—Do not be afraid to 
talk, 473.—Neither weary nor hurry, 474.—The 
needs of the poor, 475.—Defeating oneself, or 
repellent influences, 476.—Mistake of depreciat¬ 
ing one’s self, 477.—Influencing all classes, 478. 
—Meeting people on their level, 479.—Proceed 
orderly, 480.—How to create desire, and the per¬ 
sonal element, 481.—Important helps, 482. 

Pp. 90-106 


CHAPTER IX. 

SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 

The critical moment, 483.—Reserve power, 484.-^- 
A final “no,” 485.—Asking questions, 486.— 
Method of appeal, 487—Additional orders, 488. 
—Special subscription list, 489.—Evasive prom¬ 
ises, 490.—Fixing date of delivery, 491.—Mak¬ 
ing the subscription binding, 492.—Transcrib¬ 
ing subscriptions, 493.—Weekly report cards, 
494.—Foreign translations, 495. ....Pp. 107-120 



CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER X. 

OBJECTIONS. 

Expect objections, 496.—Meeting objections, 497. 
—They want it just the same, 498.—'Deciding 
for them, 499.—How to make ready to meet 
objections, 500.—The times are hard, 501.— 
Can’t afford it, 502.—Haven’t time to read, 503. 
—We can get all the books we want in the 
public library, 504.— I have got a Doctor book, 
505.— Wje have similar books, 506.—I must see 
m” husband, 507.—Am opposed to buying from 
agents, 508.—There are too many book agents 
about, 509.—A book agent cheated me once, 510. 
—The books are too small for the price, 511.—I 
can buy this book sometime in the book store, 
512.— I do not believe in telling children such 
things, 513.— I do not want my children to know 
such things, 514.—Children know too much al¬ 
ready, 515.—'I got along without such knowledge 
and my children can too, 516.—I depend on the 
school to teach my children, 517.—My child is 
too young, 518.—My child is only a year old, 
519.— I warn my children of all dangers, 520.— 
I do not believe in circulating this kind of 
books, 521.— I do not believe in these books, 

522. —If these are such great books and were 
written to do good, why are they not printed 
in cheap form at ten or twenty-five cents each, 

523. —How do I know the book will be as 

represented, 524.— I may not have the money 
when you make your deliveries, 525.—I cannot 
order now, but may take a copy when you make 
your delivery, 526.—I will not order a book to¬ 
day but may take one later on, 527.— I can bor¬ 
row my neighbor’s book, 528.— I have more 
books now than I can read, 529.—Crops are a 
failure, 530.—Orders for miscellaneous books, 
531.Pp. 121-152 



CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER XI. 

ORDERING BOOKS. 

Importance of carefulness and accuracy, 532.— 
The filling of orders, 533.—Order blanks, 534. 
—Different methods of shipment, 535.—Ship¬ 
ping by mail, 536.—Shipping by express, 537'— 
C. O. D. shipments, 538.—By freight, 539.—De¬ 
layed shipments, 540.—Boxing and drayage, 
541.—What to do while waiting, 542.—How to 
send money, 543.—Handling large orders with 
small capital, 544.—Ordering books without 
money, 545.—Assienments to another, 546.—The 
cash system, 547.—Our credit plan, 548.—Form 
of “Surety,” 549.—Length of credit, 550.— 
Credit as the cause of failure, 551 . .Pp. 153-171 


CHAPTER XII. 

DELIVERING. 

Delivering differs from canvassing, 552.—Suc¬ 
cessful delivery, 553.—What canvassers say con¬ 
cerning delivering qualities of the Self and Sex 
Series, 553.—Mental attitude of canvassers, 554. 
—Personal bearing when delivering, 555.—The 
two levels, 556.—Insisting in certain cases, 557. 
—Subscribers legally bound, 558.—When the 
money is not in hand, 559.—Dates of delivery, 
560.—About definite dates, 561.—Do a strictly 
cash business, 562.—Postal card notices, 563.— 
Time required to deliver, 564.Pp. 172-184 


CHAPTER XIII. 

important general suggestions. 

Physical culture, 566.—Conscientious work, 567.— 
That tired feeling, 568.—Rainy days, 569 — 
Everlastingly at it, 570.—Be systematic, 571.— 
Do not canvass too fast, 572.—Do thorough 



CONTEXTS. 


work, 573.—What is thorough work, 574.—An 
appeal to the Philanthropic, 575.—Young Peo¬ 
ples’ Societies, 576.—The appeal to parents, 577. 
—Get others to work for you, 578.—Enlisting 
others to canvass, 579.—'Keeping samples in 
good condition, 580.—The price of our books, 
581.—The people next door, 582.—Canvassing 
foreigners, 583.—Write us for help, 584.— 
Helping the publisher and other canvassers, 585. 
—Watch your habits, 586.—Your company, 587. 
—Licenses, 588.—Recanvassing the same terri¬ 
tory, 589.—Class canvassing, 590.—Some gen¬ 
eral principles, 591.Pp. 108-212 

Part Second. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

SUGGESTIVE CANVASSES—CANVASSESS’ FORMULAS. 

Preliminary reading, 592—Modifications, 593—< 
Making the canvass effective, 594—Adaptations, 
595—Salutations, 596—The value of questions, 
597—Commendations, 598—Importance of even¬ 
ings, 599—Canvass for Young Boy, 600—Can¬ 
vass for Young Man, 608—Canvass for Young 
Husband, 611—Canvass for Man of Forty-five, 
613—General canvass for the entire series, 614 
—Canvass for Young Girl, 623—Canvass for 
Young Woman, 626—Canvass for Young Wife, 
627—Canvass for Woman of Forty-five, 628. 

Pp. 213-291 


Part Third. 

CHAPTER XV. 

CLASS CANVASSING. 

What is class canvassing, 629—The attitude of 
ministers, 630—Proceed orderly, 631—When to 
canvass ministers, 632—Attitude of ministers 




CONTENTS. 


633—The interview with ministers, 634—Will 
ministers help, 635—Thanking the ministers, 
636—The Sunday School workers, 637—Other 
suggestions, 638—Canvassing teacher, 639— 
Startling testimonies, 640—Discovering condi¬ 
tions, 641—Conditions as they exist, 642—The 
teacher’s influence, 643—How to reach the boy, 
644—Educators using the books, 645—commen¬ 
dations, 646—Physicians are interested, 647— 
The canvass, 648—What medical authorities say, 

649 .Pp. 293-319 


Part Fourth. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

« 

Sketch of Sylvanus Stall, D. D., 650—Sketch of 
Mrs. Mary Wood-Alien, M. D., 651—Sketch of 
Mrs. Emma F. A. Drake, M. D., 652 Pp. 321-336 


Part Fifth. 

Physical Culture Supplement 











THE FOREWORD. 


13 


THE FOREWORD. 

The Purpose. —This book on successful sell¬ 
ing of the books in the Self and Sex Series 
is designed to be the canvasser’s instructor, 
guide and constant helper in the prosecution of 
an effective presentation of the Purity books 
in the Self and Sex Series. It is the result of 
large experience in canvassing, an extended 
observation of other canvassers and their 
work, and a thorough study of all available 
canvassers’ literature. In these pages are em¬ 
bodied the principles and laws without which 
success in book canvassing is simply impos¬ 
sible. No pains or labor has been spared in 
making this the fullest, most complete and 
most valuable book of instruction to canvas¬ 
sers ever published. 

The Alphabetical Index. —This book has 
been prepared not only for daily, but for con¬ 
stant reference. To render the work of refer¬ 
ence not only possible, but easy and effective, 
a thorough alphabetical index has been ar¬ 
ranged and is printed in the enclosing pages or 
this volume. This index includes not only the 
contents of this present volume, but of the 
pamphlet Number 1 , Number 2 and Number 3 . 
The paragraphs in the first hundred are in 
booklet Number 1 . Paragraphs in the second 
hundred are in booklet Number 2 . Paragraphs 
in the third hundred are in booklet Number 3 , 
and the paragraphs in 400 , 500 and upward 
are found in this volume. 


14 


THE FOREWORD. 


Preserve each of your booklets carefully for 
constant study and frequent reference, as your 
attention is likely to be called to some of these 
paragraphs in correspondence from the com¬ 
pany. These paragraphs have been numbered 
in this way so as to save the trouble of dic¬ 
tating long letters to canvassers who write for 
information. Whenever you need information 
write to the company, but before doing so 
consult the index thoroughly and study the 
instructions carefully, for by this means, with¬ 
out the trouble of writing or the loss of time 
involved, you will usually have a full and sat¬ 
isfactory answer to your question without 
asking it of the company. 

Quotations.—Any quotations made have 
been carefully credited to their authors, and 
the quotations marked ‘ 1 (K) ’ ’ are from the 
canvassers’ literature prepared and published 
by Mr. George H. Knox, President of the 
Personal Help Publishing Company, who for 
several years had sole control of the circula¬ 
tion of the books in the Self and Sex Series 
by subscription in the United States and Can¬ 
ada, and whose courtesy is hereby heartily ac¬ 
knowledged. 

The Pronouns.—When referring to a can¬ 
vasser we have generally used the masculine 
pronoun as inclusive of both genders. We de¬ 
sire to acknowledge here the splendid service, 
excellent work and large results secured by 
women who have been and are engaged in this 
work. 

Failures.—Hundreds of agents fail in the 


THE FOREWORD. 


15 


very beginning of their work and upon the 
very threshold of success simply because they 
do not know the principles of successful can¬ 
vassing and are “too busy,” too lazy, too in¬ 
different or too conceited to study the instruc¬ 
tions which have been prepared in order to 
guarantee their success. Occasionally persons 
will undertake the work without any prepara¬ 
tion or training and secure phenomenal suc¬ 
cess for a day or two, but the canvasser who 
succeeds permanently, and who succeeds alike 
in every period in the year, every day in the 
week and every hour in the day is the per¬ 
son who makes a thorough study of three 
things—first, this book of instruction; second, 
the books which he is selling, and third, the 
people whom he is canvassing. 

The inexperienced canvasser will read this 
book and fancy that he has mastered its les¬ 
sons and acquired its principles by a single 
reading or two, but when he begins to can¬ 
vass he discovers his mistake. He then finds 
that there is much that he does not know, and 
as soon as he has acquired some knowledge by 
experience he then has hooks on which to hang 
additional information. As he adds to his 
knowledge he becomes more acquisitive and 
the more experience he has the more wisdom 
he finds in the precepts and principles which 
are laid down in the following pages. On 
this account the canvasser who has had years 
of experience will read this book more thought¬ 
fully, study it more thoroughly and secure 
more information and help in one hour than 


16 


THE FOREWORD. 


the inexperienced canvasser will get in sev¬ 
eral hours. The canvasser who ceases to study 
the three sources of information indicated 
above, will immediately cease to grow, will 
eventually become discouraged and finally dis¬ 
continue the work. The man who keeps up 
his studies in the three departments we have 
pointed out will continue to grow in intelli¬ 
gence, in character, in usefulness and attain 
and maintain the largest possible success finan¬ 
cially and in every other way. 

A Welcome.—In the concluding paragraph 
of this Foreword I want to reach out a warm 
hand and extend a hearty hand-shake to each 
man and to each woman who comes as a co¬ 
worker in the circulation of a series of books 
which have now girdled the globe, are read in 
every land and have been translated into some 
fourteen or more languages. I welcome you 
into the company of the great and the good in 
this and other lands who have given these 
books their heartiest commendation, and I 
welcome you as a co-worker with the thou¬ 
sands of ministers who, without request, have 
commended these books from their pulpits to 
their people, with the evangelists, purity lec¬ 
turers and public speakers who have com¬ 
mended them from the platform to multitudes 
of people in every part of the world, with the 
earnest men and women who have read the 
books and become so enthusiastic that they 
have laid down their own work and gone out 
among their neighbors and friends as self- 
appointed missionaries in this great cause. I 


THE FOREWORD. 


17 


welcome you as co-workers with the mission¬ 
aries in foreign lands who have translated 
these books for use among the heathen, and 
assure each of you of a hearty welcome by 
the scores and hundreds of persons in every 
community, who already know of the value of 
these books, and who will themselves welcome 
you to their homes and give you not only their 
subscription, but their hearty co-operation in 
extending the circulation of these books among 
all their acquaintances, friends and neigh¬ 
bors. I welcome you not only to a work of 
universal blessing to humanity, but of largest 
financial profit to yourself, and to a work 
which will equip you for largest usefulness and 
success in any department of life you may 
subsequently enter. 

SYLVANUS STALL. 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U. S. A. 



















SUCCESS AND FAILURE. 


19 


CHAPTER I. 

SUCCESS AND FAILURE. 

401. Success. —Every canvasser wants to 
succeed. We want to do everything in our 
power to help him to succeed. There are a 
hundred roads to failure, but only one road to 
success; and this little book is intended clearly 
to point out that road. Success is dependent 
upon certain conditions. What those condi¬ 
tions are, and how to meet them, raises many 
important questions. To answer these ques¬ 
tions and insure success, we have carefully 
set forth in this book the principles and 
conditions without which success in book 
canvassing is impossible. 

402. Canvassers’ Instructions. —All the im¬ 
portant portions of Part I. in this little vol¬ 
ume should be read consecutively, at least 
once daily during the first week of the canvass, 
and after that once or twice each week until 
every principle and suggestion has been ac¬ 
tualized in practice, and they have become a 
part of the canvasser’s own personal experi¬ 
ence. 

403. Why Other Canvassers Fail. —With 
the ordinary book the canvasser often fails 
because so few persons are interested in the 


20 


SUCCESS AND FAILURE. 


subject of which his book treats. He may 
canvass ten, fifteen or twenty persons in suc¬ 
cession before finding one to whom his book 
would be if purchased by them of the slightest 
value. He soon discovers this defect and de¬ 
sires to remedy it by carrying a variety of 
books. This distracts his own mind, divides 
and dissipates his efforts, and renders it im¬ 
possible for him to concentrate and secure the 
interest of the person he canvasses in any 
one thing. To carry a variety of books is 
fatal to any canvasser, and no person of ex¬ 
perience will attempt it. 

404. Why Our Canvassers Succeed.—Our 

canvassers have eight books and each treats 
separately the subject suited to both men and 
women and to persons of different ages, or 
periods of life. There is no distraction of 
mind, no diversity of subject. Every man, 
woman and child is interested in the subjects 
treated in this series, and one or another of 
the books fits perfectly into special needs of 
each and every person whom the agent meets 
in the homes, offices, shops, fields, and every¬ 
where. Parents are always interested in their 
children, whether they' are young, have reached 
maturity, or are married and have removed to 
homes of their own. In every family of mod¬ 
erate means the series is suited to a permanent 
place in the library and the canvasser can or 
should sell the entire set. Where that cannot 
be done he can carefully and quickly size up 
the situation, drop from the set to such single 


SUCCESS AND FAILURE. 


21 


books as are best suited to the persons consti¬ 
tuting the home, or to the individual being 
canvassed. There is not a home into which 
the canvasser enters where at least one of his 
books will not be imperatively needed. Where 
only a single book is sold, orders for several 
of the books or the entire series can often 
subsequently be secured, as soon as the sub¬ 
scriber has had time to read the book pur¬ 
chased and thus learn the character of the 
entire set. 

405. Deserve Success. —The books in the 
Self and Sex Series could not have achieved 
the phenomenal success which has attended 
them unless they had unusual merit. They 
have been reviewed, approved and most heart¬ 
ily commended by about one thousand papers 
in the United States and Great Britain. Edu¬ 
cational, medical, religious and secular papers 
have alike spoken unequivocal words of heart¬ 
iest praise. Many of the most eminent men 
and women in this and other countries have 
endorsed and commended them. Church mis¬ 
sionary societies in India, Japan, Korea and 
other countries have translated them into 
eight or ten languages for the use of their 
missionaries in their work. Without solicita¬ 
tion, publishers in nearly all of the countries 
of Europe, have sought permission to translate 
and publish these books in the language of 
their own people. The books meet a univer¬ 
sal need and are suited to all races, to all na¬ 
tions, to all classes, and to all conditions of 


22 


SUCCESS AND FAILURE. 


men and women. These books were not writ¬ 
ten to make money, but to benefit and bless 
mankind. If the canvasser desires to suc¬ 
ceed he must work in harmony with this great 
purpose. He must seek to be helpful to every 
person whom he canvasses, to every reader of 
our books, and to be helpful to every home 
into which he enters. If you are true to this 
purpose you will be able to present these 
books in the most successful manner, under 
the most unfavorable conditions, and will be 
able to interest and benefit the largest num¬ 
ber of people, and secure the largest number 
of orders in the shortest possible time. 

406. Why Some Canvassers Fail. —The 

man who desires to succeed may learn a valu¬ 
able lesson from the failure of others. Failure 
in every instance is due upon the part of the 
canvasser to: 

1. —Lack of knowledge of himself. 

2. —Lack of thorough acquaintance with the 
books. 

3. —Failure to master thoroughly this Book 
of Instructions and other printed matter fur¬ 
nished by the company. 

4. —Lack of acquaintance with human na- 
m ture, and of the character, dispositions and 

needs of the people whom he canvasses. 


PREPARATION . 


23 


CHAPTER II. 

PREPARATION. 

407. Is the Business Worth Preparing For? 

—If the average canvasser can make from 
$15.00 to $50.00 per week, and the excep¬ 
tional man occasionally even more; if the 
work brings good health, secures that ac¬ 
quaintance with human nature which equips 
a man as nothing else will for success as a 
merchant, a minister, a physician, a lawyer, a 
statesman, and every other position in life, 
and is as essential to life’s largest success as 
a college training itself, then it surely is worth 
preparing for. But it does more than give the 
canvasser for the Purity Books in the Self and 
Sex Series a profitable employment. It makes 
him a public benefactor, a blessing to the gen¬ 
eration and the age in which he lives, and it 
makes his work tell, not only for time, but for 
eternity. 

408. The Necessary Time. —If it takes two 
or three years to learn to make a coat or a pair 
of shoes, to lay bricks or to learn the trade 
of a carpenter, or printer or mechanic; if it 
takes three or four years of special study to 
prepare for one of the professions after a col¬ 
lege course has been completed, if it takes 
years of training and experience in order to 


24 


PREPARATION. 


make a successful business man, then surely 
no canvasser should expect without thought, 
without study and without preparation to 
succeed in an undertaking which requires an 
equipment the same as any other useful occu¬ 
pation in life. Time spent in preparation, is 
time well spent. Note your qualifications, 
study your deficiencies, strengthen your weak 
points, and if you find any lack in the litera¬ 
ture, correspondence or instruction which you 
receive from the company, write and ask us 
for the very thing you need. Before doing so, 
however, refer to the alphabetical index at the 
back of this book which shows you fully what 
this book and the other literature furnished 
contains. If you do not find what you need, 
write at once, and write frankly and fully. 
It will be not only our privilege, but our pleas¬ 
ure to assist you. We desire to be of the 
greatest possible help to you. 

409. Realizing the Needs for the Books.— 

In order to succeed every canvasser should 
realize the universal need which exists for the 
widest possible dissemination of the informa¬ 
tion contained in these books. He should 
carefully study the canvasses, read the letters 
from young people and from the erring, the 
pamphlet on “Parental Honesty,’’ the special 
canvasses of pastors, teachers, physicians and 
others found in the latter parts of this book. 
Let him think of his own experience and the 
experience of others whom he has personally 
known. Evidences of solitary and social vice, 


PREPARATION. 


25 


the testimony of unhappy homes and of di¬ 
vorce courts, of children defrauded of their 
rights to be well-born, properly taught and 
made intelligent. These and many other 
things show the needs for the widest possible 
dissemination of these books. 

410. Realizing the Merits of the Books.— 

To realize the merits of the books, the books 
themselves must be thoroughly and carefully 
studied. Every canvasser should not only 
read carefully each one of the books in the 
series, but should seek to read one or two 
chapters from one or other of the books each 
day, so long as he is engaged in the work of 
canvassing. This will always keep his mind 
fresh, and if he has forgotten the merits of 
other chapters, he will still have something 
upon which to talk during that day which is 
fresh and new to his own mind, and which 
would be of interest to his customer. 

411. Theory Versus Experience. —Instruc¬ 
tion amounts only to theory with one who has 
had no experience. All the books of instruc¬ 
tion will not make a canvasser of a man who 
is without experience. After a young man 
has gone through a university, and has de¬ 
voted three or four years to training in a 
medical college he is only a physician in the¬ 
ory. He is not one in practice. His train¬ 
ing is not complete until he has had the prac¬ 
tice. When he begins his practice he must 
also continue his studies. It is the same with 


26 


PREPARATION. 


every other profession. It is the same with a 
canvasser. It is absolutely essential that he 
should master all of the instructions. After 
that he must begin to put them into practice. 
When he begins the actual work he will dis¬ 
cover the value of the instruction, and if he 
is wise he will continue persistently to review 
and to reimpress the different principles more 
and more deeply upon his mind. After he has 
actually begun his canvass he will be likely to 
ask himself seriously, what are the requisites 
in a good canvasser. 

412. Requisites in a Good Canvasser.— 

They are the following: 

1. Intelligence and thorough acquaintance 
with the books for which he is canvassing. 

2. Energy and a willingness to work from 
eight to twelve hours a day. 

3. Thoroughness and indomitable persever¬ 
ance. 

413. Do Not be Discouraged. —A person 
may learn to swim under the eye of an in¬ 
structor and in a pool that does not have a 
ripple, and where he can touch bottom at any 
moment. That is experience of one kind. But 
when he strikes out for the first time from the 
bank of a river, or from the beach of the 
ocean and breasts the waves, his courage is 
tested, and he is likely to hesitate or falter. 
In that state of mind he may even totally 
abandon his purpose ever to become a swim¬ 
mer. The same is true of a canvasser. His 


PREPARATION. 


27 


first week is his testing time. This is es¬ 
pecially true the first day, and the first hour. 
Hope lifts him up, or fear casts him down. He 
rises and sinks as the alternating waves and 
depressions of success and failure sweep by. 
Some breakers sweep over him, he gasps for 
breath, but if he has the right mind and met¬ 
tle, instead of being discouraged, he will come 
to the end of his first day’s work with that 
sense of relish and enjoyment which charac¬ 
terizes one who has dipped for the first time 
into the briny deep. 

Expect great things from the beginning, but 
do not be discouraged if you do not obtain 
them. Go back to the rules and principles 
which have made others successful. Deter¬ 
mine to persevere for a month, and if you do 
not attain some degree of success, then it 
will be early enough to discuss the question 
of turning your attention to something else. 
If others make a success of it, so can you. If 
this kind of experience has made great men of 
others, it will make a great success of you. 
If you allow yourself to fail in this, you will 
be more likely to fail in every other effort 
you make in life. Read the paragraph on 
“Moderate Success,” page 15, in Booklet 
No. 2. 


28 


PREPARATION OF THE MIND. 


CHAPTER III. 

PREPARATION OF THE MIND. 

414. Mental Attitude. —Much will depend 
upon the mental attitude. Every student 
knows of the influence of mind over matter. 
The canvasser should know also of the in¬ 
fluence of the mind over man—of his mind 
over himself, and over others as well. The 
man who is fully persuaded in his own mind—• 
the resolute, the determined man—is well-nigh 
invincible. The mental attitude not only af¬ 
fects one’s bearing, but its influence is felt 
even before one utters a word. The success 
of such a man is assured from the beginning. 
He intends to succeed, is determined to suc¬ 
ceed. He does not know what failure means, 
and the consequence is that he does not fail, 
but that he does succeed. When he meets with 
difficulties he studies how to overcome them. 
When an objection is raised, he studies how to 
answer it, and to answer it so that it stays 
answered in the mind of the person who made 
the objection. The proper mental attitude is 
reflected in the countenance and makes one 
present a confident, smiling, triumphant face 
that will be sure to sweep all obstacles out of 
the way, and it will be reflected in the coun¬ 
tenance of your customer as surely as if the 
sun’s rays had fallen across it. 


PREPARATION OF THE MIND. 


29 


415. Determine to Succeed. —Start out with 
a determination to succeed. Work systemat¬ 
ically and remember that energy and perse¬ 
verance are necessary to success in any and 
every undertaking. Do not be discouraged 
by a few rebuffs. You may canvass a dozen 
persons and fail in every instance, but perse¬ 
vere, and your success is assured. Experi¬ 
ence will teach you bow to approach people, 
and perseverance will bring success. A little 
experience, an ample store of good common 
sense and an indomitable perseverance are 
indispensable requisites in a good canvasser. 
Push, pluck and energy are essential. Re¬ 
member the old adage, “Luck is a fool, pluck 
is everything. ’ ’ Believe in yourself, believe in 
your books, go forth with confidence and your 
success is assured. 

416. Be Intensely in Earnest. —“This 
should be manifest in your tone of voice, 
sparkling eye, and every step and gesture. It 
is essential to all successful soliciting. To sell 
these books best you must be possessed with 
an enthusiasm for saving your fellows. In 
saving them you save yourself. Suppose you 
discover a neighbor’s house on fire; do you 
think any one would be so indifferent or busy 
that you could not secure attention? Should 
the caving in of a mine imprison the toilers 
in the earth, could you not arouse an entire 
community to go as one man to the rescue? 
When Mr. Cudahy’s son was kidnapped in 
Omaha, a ransom of $25,000 soon restored him 


30 


PREPARATION OF THE MIND. 


to his parents. But there are sons and daugh¬ 
ters in every community who are being worse 
than kidnapped and no amount of money can 
bring them back sound and well. You have 
started to reclaim them and also to do a still 
greater work in preventing others from fall¬ 
ing. Not children only, but parents of high 
and low degree must be aroused. When King 
David so anxiously inquired, ‘ Is the young 
man Absalom safe?’ it was forty years too 
late. The writer learned of a wealthy man 
who offered any minister $10,000 to reform his 
son; but that son was deaf to their appeals— 
it was too late. At the dedication of the in¬ 
stitute for boys in New York, Oliver Wendell 
Holmes said, ‘ If this institution saves one 
boy, it will pay for the entire structure . 1 
‘What!’ inquired a listener, ‘do you mean 
to say that one boy is worth more than all 
the brick, stone, lumber, steel and years of 
labor necessary to erect this mighty building V 
Holmes replied, ‘If it were my boy, he is.’ 
When you add to this estimate what the Mas¬ 
ter Himself said, ‘What shall it profit a man 
if he gain the whole world and lose his own 
soul'P you will begin to have some concep¬ 
tion of the mighty work in which you are en¬ 
gaged. It is a greater work to keep people 
from falling than to reclaim the fallen.”— 
(K.) 

417. Realize Your Obligation. —When en¬ 
tering upon this work of canvassing realize 
your obligation to yourself, to your parents, 


PREPARATION OF THE MIND . 


31 


to your friends, to the Yir Publishing Com¬ 
pany, to the community in which you should 
be interested, and to your own future success 
in life. To this end, make thorough prepara¬ 
tion for the work. Begin in the right way and 
at the right time. Set apart at least eight 
hours each day for solid, conscientious work. 

418. Know What You Are Talking About. 

—No canvasser can do his best work until he 
knows his books thoroughly. He must read 
them, and reread them again and again. If 
he does not know them, if he is not enthusi¬ 
astic over them, he cannot impress others or 
impart his enthusiasm. Water cannot rise 
higher than its own level. If you are not inter¬ 
ested in the books yourself, you surely cannot 
interest others. If you do not awaken their 
interest you cannot secure their subscription. 
You must remember that the people know 
nothing of the books. They have never seen 
them, possibly never heard of them, are not 
interested in them and consequently do not 
want to buy them. It is for you to change the 
entire situation. If you want to bring them to 
the right mental attitude, you must have the 
right mental attitude yourself. You must 
be so much interested and so familiar with 
the books, and be able to talk of them, and in 
such a manner, as to create an interest in the 
minds of others. Study our Canvasses thor¬ 
oughly, but experience will give you new ideas 
and teach you how to use them. No canvasser 
ever carried a better, more needed or more im- 


32 


PREPARATION OF THE MIND. 


portant set of books. Be fully persuaded in 
your own mind in these matters. Impart your 
enthusiasm to every person whom you canvass. 
No person can afford to be ignorant of the 
full, frank and pure presentations of the truth 
which these books contain. 

419. The Grtat Essentials. —If a canvas¬ 
ser desires to go at his work like a conquer¬ 
ing hero, sweeping everything before him, he 
can do it. What makes a conquering hero? 
A great purpose, self mastery, a disciplined 
army, thorough acquaintance with the field 
upon which he is to fight, a knowledge of every 
foot of country that must be traversed to 
reach that field, thorough acquaintance with 
the strength, tactics and possibilities of his 
enemy, and a determination upon his own part 
to do or die. 

What does this suggest to the canvasser? 
He must know his books from cover to cover. 
He must not only read his Instructions, but he 
must study them, paragraph by paragraph, 
and sentence by sentence. At first he must go 
over them again and again, day by day, and 
later, week by week. He must make a busi¬ 
ness of this study. If he “eats it, drinks it 
and sleeps it” at first, so much the better. 
So much the more certain will be his suc¬ 
cess. Occasionally a man without experience, 
without acquaintance with the books, without 
having made a thorough study of the Instruc¬ 
tions, rushes in and sells fifteen or twenty 
books the first day. But this is altogether ex- 


PREPARATION OF THE MIND. 


33 


eeptional. What is it that gives him such 
success ? Why, his enthusiasm ! But if he had 
had acquaintance with his books, and had gone 
to work with intelligence in addition to his 
enthusiasm, he could have sold fifty books just 
as easily as he sold twenty. In a day or two 
this man discovers his lack, and unless he be¬ 
takes himself to study, he will end in failure 
and quit the business inside of two weeks. 

The first step essential to success is pre¬ 
paration. The second is preparation. The 
third is preparation. The next step is con¬ 
viction and enthusiasm begotten of confidence 
in the merits of the books and the importance 
of their widest possible circulation. When a 
canvasser is so full of his subject that he 
thinks of it by day and dreams of it at night, 
has made the preparation we suggest, goes 
forth in the spirit we have indicated, his re¬ 
sults will entitle him to be regarded as a con¬ 
quering hero. 

420. Lessons on Success in Life. —In our 

personal correspondence with the canvassers 
we always make every letter a lesson on suc¬ 
cess in life. To the canvasser, when he first 
reads the letter, it may seem as though it were 
only upon success in canvassing; but the great 
principles which underlie success in every de¬ 
partment of life will troop through every let¬ 
ter, march through every paragraph and 
breathe in every sentence. We intend also to 
inaugurate such methods as will enable each 
canvasser so long as he continues in our em- 


34 


PREPARATION OF THE MIND. 


ploy to pursue a course of study upon success 
in life, and to enable him to discover why 
some people succeed where others fail and why 
some fail where success would have been as 
easy as failure itself. 


PHYSICAL PREPARATION. 


35 


CHAPTER IV. 

PHYSICAL PREPARATION. 

421. Physical Culture. —The physical, in¬ 
tellectual and spiritual are closely related. 
The great educational institutions have come 
to recognize this relation. Since the introduc¬ 
tion of physical culture and a physical de¬ 
partment, the standard of scholarship in every 
other department has been raised. It is im¬ 
possible to make a scholar of a dyspeptic. It 
is impossible even to make the best kind of a 
man of a dyspeptic. Young Men’s Christian 
Associations recognize this fact, and the gym¬ 
nasium is regarded as essential in the work 
of that organization as the Bible Class itself. 
Every pastor meets people in his parish whose 
lack of piety is due to their need of pills— 
and they would not even need pills if they 
simply knew how to take care of their bodies. 
What would be the condition of a house that 
was occupied for years and was never swept, 
painted, repaired or cared for in any way*? 
But nature will sweep, paint and repair these 
bodies of ours, if we simply give some reason¬ 
able thought to our health. 

422. How Much Time. —Give ten minutes 
each morning to a thoughtful care of your 
own body. Then forget yourself and live for 


36 


PHYSICAL PREPARATION. 


others all the rest of the clay. Be such a per¬ 
son in body, soul and spirit that you will ra¬ 
diate health every hour of the day. Health is 
as contagious as disease, and hopefulness and 
good cheer are catching. Ten minutes spent 
in proper physical culture in the morning im¬ 
mediately after rising and before taking the 
morning bath will give health to the body, 
clearness to the mind and intensity to the life. 
The canvasser who devotes himself conscien¬ 
tiously to ten minutes of physical culture each 
morning will sell 25 per cent, more books dur¬ 
ing each day than he could possibly sell with¬ 
out that amount of physical culture. He 
cannot be a master mind, a galvanic battery, 
a dominant influence without it. It fortifies 
him against catching cold, keeps him hopeful, 
cheery and bright, saves from discourage¬ 
ment, banishes the blues before he gets them 
and helps to make failure impossible. 

423. Results. —So essential do we regard 
this matter of daily attention to the physical, 
and the devoting of ten minutes each morning 
to physical culture that we not only make it 
a part of our training, but insist upon it con¬ 
stantly as essential to the largest possible 
, success. With this physical training as a ba¬ 
sis, and with the other benefits of canvassing, 
we have seen young men almost transformed 
in thirty days. A photograph taken “before 
and after” would scarcely be recognized by- 
their friends. Young men who have not previ¬ 
ously given attention to the care and devel- 


PHYSICAL PREPARATION. 


37 


opment of the physical, gain in weight, become 
more graceful in carriage, more hopeful and 
cheerful in countenance and more dominant 
and influential in their personality. 

424. Foodi —The question of food is also 
essential. Select a boarding place where a 
good supply qf plain, wholesome food is as¬ 
sured. In some dining rooms empty display 
and costly dishes are made a substitute for 
good food and plenty of it. Do not over-eat, 
but eat enough. 

425. Boarding Place. —The question of 
your boarding place is essential. It need not, 
it should not be expensive. It should yet be 
good and comfortable, centrally located, con¬ 
ducted by people who are above suspicion and 
who will thereby lend something to the in¬ 
fluence and success of your canvass. 

426. Your Boom. —Your room should be 
bright and cheery. Properly heated in the 
winter and sufficiently cool in the summer, 
with plenty of ventilation both summer and 
winter. Room alone if you can conveniently 
do so. It will afford you better facilities for 
study, rest and sleep. 

427. Your Evenings. —Do not spend your 
evenings in frivolities, gaieties and excesses 
which unfit you for rest during the night or 
for the work of the next day. The night is 
often made the undoing of the day in many 


38 


PHYSICAL PREPARATION. 


ways. You need your evenings for meeting 
special appointments and the doing of class 
canvassing. You need the evenings also for a 
regular study of this Book of Instruction, 
and the night, not part of it, but all of it, 
after a reasonable and early hour of retiring, 
for sleep and undisturbed rest. 

4 

428. Weariness, Discouragement and De¬ 
spondency.—Discouragement and despondency 
are often the result of weariness. In order to 
guard oneself against weariness and physical 
exhaustion the question of sleep and rest is 
important. First of all, however, there is no 
better precautionary measure than physical 
culture. Systematic, thorough work, with 
persistent, earnest effort, is sure to bring 
weariness. Where a man is enthusiastic and 
zealous he is likely to be quite unconscious of 
the results of exhausting effort. Indeed, a 
man with an absorbing enthusiasm can do ten 
times as much work as without it, and usu¬ 
ally without any larger drafts upon his phy¬ 
sical resources. 

Bring yourself daily by a night of refresh¬ 
ing sleep and thorough, conscientious physical 
culture to that high standard of bodily health 
and physical force that you can go forth to 
eight or ten hours of continuous and enthusi¬ 
astic effort and hard work, all unconscious of 
physical weariness. But when you are really 
weary, and physically and mentally exhausted, 
you ought to recognize that fact. At such a 
time, an hour devoted in or upon your bed, 


PHYSICAL PREPARATION. 


39 


or some other equally good place to relax 
every muscle and energy and secure a thor¬ 
ough rest and a good sleep, is the best use that 
could possibly be made of that amount of 
time. The greatest care should, however, al¬ 
ways be exercised so as not to mistake laziness 
for weariness. As soon as you have had the 
requisite rest be up and at it again with energy 
and vigor. 

Undue weariness is productive of nervous¬ 
ness which is liable to make the canvasser ir¬ 
ritable and fussy, and his own condition is 
quite sure to become a source of irritation to 
his customer, and thus it totally unfits him 
for successful work. The canvasser should 
always be calm, self-possessed and confident. 
He should never seem in a hurry, or appear 
over-anxious. He should seek brevity, should 
never be over-insistent, but always recogniz¬ 
ing the fact that all persons have something 
of the mule in their natures, and that when 
you insist upon their doing a certain thing, 
that is the very thing they will insist upon 
not doing. The wise canvasser knows how to 
seem not to drive nor to force, but to lead, 
convince and persuade. 

You cannot expect every day to be a good 
day. Some days will be better than others. 
There are dull days in every line of business. 
When such times come do not be discouraged. 
What would you think of the merchant who 
gave up his business because of a few weeks 
or a few months of business depression ? 
What would you think of a farmer who would 


40 


PHYSICAL PREPARATION. 


sacrifice his farm because his crops had failed 
for one or two years, even if those years suc¬ 
ceeded each other? Such a man would be 
weak, and so would you if you allowed dis¬ 
couragement to turn you from your great pur¬ 
pose. Do your very best to secure an order at 
every call, and call on every one. Do thorough 
work, work early and late, putting purpose 
and energy into every canvass and success is 
assured. 

As I have already said, keep in your best 
physical condition and always remember the 
“blues” have killed more men than were ever 
slain by typhoid and yellow fever combined. 
When Elisha got the blues and thought that 
the entire world had gone wrong and desired 
to die, there was a good cause for it. The day 
before he had been on Mt. Carmel amid the 
most trying scenes, and in the evening, when 
nature was already exhausted, he ran twelve 
miles before the chariot of Ahab to the gates 
of Jezreel. No wonder he was exhausted 
the next day and the world looked blue! What 
did God do? He gave him a good long sleep 
under the juniper tree, and when he awoke 
He fed him with nourishing food. The blues 
may come from various causes, but when they 
do come from physical exhaustion, no better 
remedy was ever prescribed. Rest when and 
as often as you need to, but never loaf or idle 
away your time. A needed rest will cure the 
blues, but loafing will bring them on and make 
them fatal. 


THE FIELD. 


41 


CHAPTER V. 

THE FIELD. 

429. Choice of Field. —There is a differ¬ 
ence in different fields. The difference, how¬ 
ever, is usually slight. When a man suc¬ 
ceeds in one field and another man fails in an¬ 
other field, the man who fails is apt to think 
that the cause of his failure was due to the 
field. If these two men had changed fields be¬ 
fore either began work, it is more than likely 
that the man who failed and assigned his fail¬ 
ure to the character of the field would have 
failed in the field in which the other man suc¬ 
ceeded. The difference in the choice of fields 
is always slight. The people in every field are 
human and wherever there are human beings 
there are persons to whom these books are per¬ 
fectly suited—persons to whom the informa¬ 
tion contained in these books is absolutely es¬ 
sential. What you need : s not to waste time 
in hunting new or better fields, but to thor¬ 
oughly and conscientiously work the field you 
already have. Do not flit like the frivolous 
butterfly to flowers distant and remote, but 
like the busy bee wasting no precious time in 
flight, but industriously gathering large stores 
of honey from flowers that are passed unno¬ 
ticed by the honeyless butterfly. 


42 


THE FIELD. 


430. Preparing to Enter the Field. —“Be¬ 
fore the time arrives for you to start for your 
field, go to two or three particular friends of 
good standing, such as your minister, teacher, 
banker, and let them give you letters of com¬ 
mendation, which are always good things to 
have in your pocket when traveling. Provide 
yourself with a blank book of convenient size 
for your pocket, in which to write down the 
names of all the people you wish to see in your 
canvass. Open this book by writing your own 
name and address in ink or indelible pencil, 
your home address also, with this inscription, 
1 Should this book become lost or mislaid, will 
the finder please notify me at the above ad¬ 
dress/ Every person you canvass should be 
able to give you the names of friends and 
neighbors whom you should call upon. These 
names should then be written down in your 
blank book immediately under the name of the 
person you are then canvassing. Be sure in 
every instance to write the name plainly, so 
that you can read it readily and pronounce it 
correctly/’—(K.) 

As far as possible take with you more than 
sufficient money simply to pay your car fare 
to your appointed field. Take money enough 
to pay your board for a couple of weeks or 
longer, and for such general expenses as are 
absolutely essential. Arrange with parents or 
friends who are interested in you personally, 
who know you to be honest and worthy of 
their confidence and assistance, to provide 
you with money so that you can send cash 


TEE FIELD. 


43 


when ordering your first instalment of books. 
If you can not arrange for the loan of the 
money, then you should have som3 personal 
acquaintance, who is financially responsible, 
sign your Surety Blank and send it forward 
to us so that it can be investigated, placed 
upon file and thus avoid delays which must 
otherwise occur when you send in your order. 

431. Entering the Field. —“When the time 
arrives for you to begin work, do not hesitate 
a minute, but move as promptly at command 
of your own will as a soldier would if ordered 
by the general in command.”—(K) When 
arriving upon the territory do not lose a mo¬ 
ment. Go straight to the Secretary of the 
Young Men’s Christian Association, to some 
pastor, or judicious person who can direct you 
to a good boarding house. As soon as that 
question is settled enter immediately upon your 
work. The man who instead of going immedi¬ 
ately to work looks around for a few hours or 
a day or two to “see how the land lies” is the 
man who usually never goes to work at all. 
There is not one location in a thousand where 
a canvasser could go out to reconnoitre where 
pretty much every person he meets would not 
say to him, “This is not a reading com¬ 
munity.” “This is no town in which to sell 
books.” “This town has been over-run with 
canvassers, a dozen have failed here within the 
last month.” Statements such as these are 
sure to confront a canvasser in any and every 
territory where he goes out to inquire of oth- 


44 


THE FIELD. 


ers. These people may be courteous, they 
may be well-meaning and they are generally 
sincere, but they are entirely mistaken, not¬ 
withstanding. You can find people of this kind 
without hunting them, and if you do hunt them 
you will find plenty of them in any and every 
territory. When you enter your territory 
therefore do not waste one moment, but go im¬ 
mediately to work, and listen to no word of 
discouragement. 

432. Pastors’ Commendations.—If the ter¬ 
ritory to be canvassed is a small town or vil¬ 
lage, then immediately after securing a board¬ 
ing place visit the pastor or pastors, the lead¬ 
ing physicians, principal of the schools and 
secure their endorsement to a general letter 
of commendation. If it is a town of consider¬ 
able size or a city, then call upon each of the 
pastors and the Secretary of the Young Men’s 
Christian Association and explain to them that 
you are about to introduce a Purity Crusade in 
the town and want their interest and co-opera¬ 
tion. They will be likely to signify their readi¬ 
ness and ask you what you would like them to 
do. You can then secure their endorsement, 
together with that of all the others to the 
following or somewhat similar brief commen¬ 
dations : 

“The Purity books in the Self and Sex 
Series have commended themselves to the emi¬ 
nent and good in this and other lands and be¬ 
cause of their exceptional character we heart¬ 
ily commend them for a permanent place in 
every home.” 


TEE FIELD. 


45 


This commendation is brief and to the point, 
and it has been our experience that where pas¬ 
tors are not already acquainted with the books, 
but are shown the portraits and commenda¬ 
tions in the front of the books of those who 
commend them, or if a copy or two of the 
books themselves can be left for their exami¬ 
nation they will readily give their influence 
by subscribing their names to this commen¬ 
dation. Printed copies of this commendation 
on strong, bond paper can be secured from the 
publishers upon request. This method is better 
than to request the pastor or others to read the 
book or books and then write a personal com¬ 
mendation. Such a request requires too much 
time and effort, and is much more likely to be 
refused. In addition it is almost impossible 
for a canvasser to handle several letters of 
commendation in such a way as to be ef¬ 
fective and without great loss of time both to 
himself and the persons being canvassed. 

433. Pulpit Announcement.—If the can¬ 
vasser has properly interested the pastor and 
impressed him with the importance of the 
work, he will feel that the circulation of these 
books would be a blessing to his people and to 
the entire community. He will also recognize 
the canvasser as a co-laborer with himself in a 
most important work, and be willing to make 
a pulpit announcement, and thus prepare his 
congregation to accord a kindly reception and 
an attentive hearing to the canvasser when he 
calls. 


46 


THE FIELD. 


The following pulpit announcement or one 
somewhat similarly brief and to the point has 
been found to be effective: 

“I desire to announce that there are a number of 
young men in our community presenting a set of books 
on the subject of personal and social purity. The 
books in this set have been endorsed by many of the 
most eminent men and women in this and other lands. 
These books contain information essential to personal, 
domestic and social happiness. Information which pa¬ 
rents do not know how to impart to their children. In¬ 
formation essential to young men and to young women 
who are starting in a home of their own. The subjects 
of which these books treat may not be presented from 
the pulpit, but the possession of the information which 
they contain should be general, as it would save thou¬ 
sands from wreck and ruin, social, domestic and 
moral, too generally found upon every hand. We com¬ 
mend these books for a permanent place in every home. 
The young men who will present them are Christian 
young men working their way through college.” * 

Copies of this or some other equally good 
announcement can be secured from the pub¬ 
lishers upon request. Always send a stamped, 
addressed envelope for the return of this or 
similar literature. 

Always attend church, Sunday-school, and 
midweek and other public church services, both 
for your own spiritual good and to get ac¬ 
quainted with the people whom you should 
know. 

434. Announcements in the Papers. —After 

the various pastors in a city have made pulpit 
announcements like the above, it is very easy 
to secure a notice in the next issue of the daily 
and weekly papers stating that upon the day 
previous such announcements have been made 

* (To the Pastor).—This “Announcement” is only 
suggestive. Be free to make any changes. 



TEE FIELD. 


47 


in all the pulpits. This will acquaint with this 
fact hundreds of people who did not hear the 
announcement in the churches. Editors are 
always glad to announce such a fact simply as 
a piece of news. 

A notice something like the following may 
be suggestive: 


The pastors in nearly all of our churches yesterday 
announced from the pulpit an educational purity cam¬ 
paign which is being inaugurated in our city. It is 
the purpose of this movement by a personal house-to- 
house visitation to place in as many homes as possible 
pure literature that will instruct scientifically and in 
the right way upon subjects of vital importance to 
every boy and girl, and man and woman in the land. 
Many books intended to occupy this field have done 
more harm than good. The Self and Sex Series of 
purity books, written by Sylvanus Stall, D. D., Mrs. 
Mary Wood-Alien, M. D., and Mrs. Emma F. A. 
Drake, M. D., have been endorsed by many of the 
most eminent and good in this and other lands. These 
books in English are circulated around the globe, have 
been translated into at least fourteen different lan¬ 
guages, have an honored place in a million or more 
Christian homes, and it is the purpose of this move¬ 
ment to impart that information which is so essential 
to the well-being of all ages and classes. The repre¬ 
sentatives of this movement deserve the kindest and 
most thoughtful consideration upon the part of all 
those whom they visit. 

We can also furnish printed copies of this 
or other similar notices for use by the canvas¬ 
sers. 


435. Class Canvassing. — Where pastors 
hesitate about signing the commendation, it 
might be well not to ask them to make the pul¬ 
pit announcement upon the occasion of the 
first interview, but to call upon them the next 
day, or just prior to the Sunday when the an¬ 
nouncements are to be made in the different 
pulpits. After the announcement has been 


48 


THE FIELD. 


made pastors can almost always be relied upon 
to respond favorably to the request for the 
names of the Superintendent and teachers of 
the Sunday-school. Some times it is much 
better not to ask the pastor, but to learn the 
name of the Superintendent from others and 
then let the superintendent furnish the names 
and addresses of all the teachers. These teach¬ 
ers should be visited in a thorough class can¬ 
vass. When visiting the teachers they should 
be made to feel that they are leaders of the 
public thought, that the members of their 
class look up to them as intelligent guides, 
and that whether they see fit to speak to their 
pupils upon this subject or not, they them¬ 
selves ought to be well informed and thor¬ 
oughly acquainted with the subject. It would 
be well also to suggest that after seeing 
how purely, impressively and unobjection- 
ably these subjects are presented in these 
books they will better be able to judge of what 
may be their duty in their relation to their 
scholars. 

The canvassers will be greatly assisted in 
“Class Canvassing” by a careful study of the 
help furnished in the latter pages of this vol¬ 
ume. 

The teachers of the Young Men’s and Young 
Women’s Bible Classes should be interested in 
such a way as to see the importance of having 
a full set of books for themselves, and to fur¬ 
nish the names and addresses of all the mem¬ 
bers of their classes, and also to read a notice 
to their classes somewhat like the following: 


THE FIELD. 


49 


“ I desire to announce that there is a young man (or 
men) in our community presenting a set of books on 
the subject of personal and social purity. These books 
treat the private life of the individual in a thoroughly 
pure and comprehensive manner, and should be in every 
home. They are written by widely known Christian 
authors, and can be depended upon as the most reli¬ 
able and authentic treatment of these subjects that is 
published. 

“Mr. - will call on you in a few days to show 

them to you, and I hope you will all improve this op¬ 
portunity of getting them.” 

With this list of names in hand the can¬ 
vasser has splendid material for class can¬ 
vassing. These persons constitute just the 
class to be seen in the evenings. The regular 
house to house canvass should be prosecuted 
during the day, and these Sunday-school teach¬ 
ers and Bible Class men and women can be 
canvassed separately at appointed times or in 
the evenings, and thus greatly augment the 
daily sales. This and other methods are pur¬ 
sued by successful canvassers as a means of 
securing names of persons who can be visited 
on Monday forenoon when so many people are 
washing, and on Saturday afternoons and at 
other times when canvassers are likely to find 
people generally very busily occupied. 

This method of class canvassing should be 
pursued with each of the churches, with physi¬ 
cians, who constitute a class always interested 
in our books and usually among our best cus¬ 
tomers, with the members of the Young Men’s 
Christian Association, members of the Wo¬ 
men’s Christian Temperance Union, local tem¬ 
perance organizations, Mothers ’ Clubs, and 
various organizations of every description. 
The number of books sold by the regular 



50 


THE FIELD. 


house to house canvass can be easily doubled 
by this method of class canvassing. Both 
methods of canvassing can be best and most 
successfully worked at the same time. But 
even where a city has been thoroughly can¬ 
vassed by the “house to house’’ method, can¬ 
vassers often find work enough to engage their 
attention for several weeks with most profit¬ 
able results. 

436. Begin with Prominent Names.— 

Where persons who are canvassed have any 
doubts with regard to the character of the 
books, or hesitate because of any other con¬ 
sideration, they are often influenced to a fa¬ 
vorable decision by a list of names of influen¬ 
tial subscribers. It is therefore important to 
begin your subscription list with the names 
of prominent and influential persons. The 
names of ministers, the Superintendent of the 
Board of Education, the President of the High 
School, the Secretary of the Young Men’s 
Christian Association, physicians, Sunday- 
school Superintendents, officers of churches, 
leading politicians and the names of other 
prominent persons are of great value. Lose no 
time, however, but canvass persons whom you 
meet while laying the foundations for your 
work, and if necessary place their names upon 
a separate list, so that your regular subscrip¬ 
tion list may be headed by influential names. 

437. Persuading the Leaders.—“As, in 
canvassing these leaders, you have as yet ac- 


THE FIELD. 


51 


cumulated but little influence to bring to bear 
on them, your aim should be to please, by the 
compliment of showing how important and in¬ 
fluential you deem their approbation. If one 
of these leaders declares he is called upon so 
often that he prefers to decline, answer that 
his position and influence make him a leader of 
others. Assure him it is for this reason he is 
called upon so often; that if he doesn’t want 
to be solicited so much, he should not allow 
himself to be among the most influential in the 
community. Every one likes to be told that he 
is a person of influence, rnd if you make this 
suggestion in such a manner as to show that 
you are sincere, it will have its effect. An hon¬ 
est man hates flattery, but tin best of us like 
sincere praise. Many experienced agents who 
understand this make it a rule to tell every 
person they canvass that they want his name 
for his influence', and there is no falsehood in 
this, for the humblest person on earth has 
some influence over some other person. ’ ’ Even 
a wooden man has influence, otherwise the 
wooden Indian that stands at the entrance to 
the tobacco store would not be placed there. 

438. Preparation and Use of Testimonials 
and List of Subscribers.—“Few solicitors 
know how to use their local testimonials and 
list of subscribers to the best advantage. A 
very convenient way to arrange and carry 
your list is to procure from any merchant a 
piece of manila wrapping paper a little wider 
and longer than the ordinary business letter- 


52 


TEE FIELD. 


head. Fold this over about an inch at the top, 
inserting through the fold thus made and near 
each edge of the sheet, an ordinary paper fas¬ 
tener. Before inserting the fasteners you 
should slip the end of a sheet of blank paper 
nearly as large as the manila sheet into the 
fold at the top so that the fasteners when in¬ 
serted will hold it in place like the leaf of a 
book. On this blank sheet you should copy 
the name of each subscriber as secured until 
the sheet is full; then paste another sheet to 
the bottom and fold. Continue to do this as 
your list grows so that when you draw out 
your subscription list, your customer will be 
confronted with the whole array of the names 
of neighbors and friends who have subscribed. 
Local testimonials, which you secure, will usu¬ 
ally be written on shorter sheets or if not can 
be trimmed down so that they will only par¬ 
tially cover your list. These testimonials 
should be inserted and fastened the same as 
the sheets on which your subscribers ’ names 
are written. You can thus refer immediately 
to any particular testimonial which you think 
will have most weight with the person you are 
canvassing. It is sometimes well to introduce 
your canvass with a good stirring testimonial 
from some prominent local personage, as a 
means of enlisting the confidence of your pros¬ 
pective customer. Then proceed with your 
regular canvass and testimonials given in the 
books themselves, reinforcing and clinching 
your canvass with more local testimonials. 

“If you are especially successful in fre- 


THE FIELD. 


53 


quently securing orders for several copies from 
one person, it is well to make frequent refer¬ 
ence to your order book as well, showing that 
such and such a person had ordered a number 
of copies. This will frequently be helpful in get¬ 
ting the person you are canvassing to increase 
his order. At the same time you must learn 
to be tactful in using your subscription list, 
for while it will have more influence than any 
other single thing in adding orders to your 
list, you should not hint that your customer 
may be influenced to buy because others are 
buying. You should rather refer to your list 
as evidence of the popularity of the books and 
refer to what so-and-so said to you about be¬ 
ing ‘so glad to have the chance to get the 
books now.’ "■ —(K.) 

439. Township Canvassing.—Where the as¬ 
signed territory includes a township the work 
of preparation and the beginning of the can¬ 
vass in the village should be pursued as we 
have indicated above. After this “strike for 
the country, reserving the town for extremely 
bad weather. Do not travel more than two 
miles in one direction, but turn and canvass 
back on the other road. Be sure to canvass all 
houses off from the road. Inquire about the 
people you hope to canvass; learn their names 
in advance. Canvass the one you think most 
likely to buy. If you fail on that one, try an¬ 
other member of the family. Be sure to can¬ 
vass every hired man and hired girl. You will 
sell to most of them. Go right into the field 


54 


THE FIELD. 


to see the hired man; ask to see the hired girl. 
After closing the first order in the home, do 
not go away until you have tried to sell them 
other books of the series; it may be to other 
members of the family. Careful attention at 
this point will easily double your business. 
By your actions and earnest conversation com¬ 
pel the people to talk about you and your 
books, and talk favorably. Make them feel 
that there is a hustler in their midst and that 
he is engaged in a good work. Always do busi¬ 
ness where you take dinner. Stay overnight 
by selling books that you could not otherwise 
sell. In that way you will not only sell more 
books and be able to show a larger list, but 
also save paying out cash for expenses. It 
would be well for you to make a drawing of the 
territory you are to canvass, with the location 
of the homes in the country districts, and have 
your records so complete that in case of sick¬ 
ness you could send a stranger in to fill your 
orders, thus preventing financial loss.”—(K.) 

440. Canvassing in the Home Field.— 

Where canvassers devote themselves to the 
work in their own home field and among per¬ 
sons with whom they are acquainted, after 
they have secured the prominent and influen¬ 
tial names, and when entering upon a general 
canvass, they will think of many persons who 
can be divided into two classes. 

First.—Those who are serious and earnest 
and who have great love and interest in their 
children. 


THE FIELD. 


55 


Second.—Those whose own lives have prob¬ 
ably been impure, and who might be thought 
to be less interested in the purity of their own 
children on that account. 

Do not avoid this second class, for men or 
women who have been impure would not for 
the world have their own children follow in 
their footsteps. This class of persons if prop¬ 
erly approached generally purchase books for 
their own children, and oftentimes for them¬ 
selves. Canvass every home and every person 
in the community except children. 

441. Canvassing Colleges and Schools.— 

Colleges, universities and schools of higher 
education are excellent territory for the sale 
of these books. Many of our canvassers are 
from the student class, and these often begin 
their experimental work in the institution in 
which they are studying. The success of a can¬ 
vass in such a field is dependent upon the per¬ 
sonality and influence of the canvasser, the 
amount of time he can devote to the work, and 
his ability to impress his own deep conviction 
upon his fellow students. 

Further information upon the subject of 
canvassing in schools and colleges will be 
found on page 25 of Booklet No. 2, and also 
by consulting the alphabetical index at the end 
of this volume. 

Presidents of institutions sometimes hesi¬ 
tate to recommend the books, fearing lest the 
parents of some student might see one of the 
books, and without knowing or examination 


56 


THE FIELD. 


into the character of the book and its con¬ 
tents, disapprove of what the President of the 
institution had done. We do not know of a 
President of any institution who disapproves 
of our books, but we have known of some who 
hesitate to give their public approval, for the 
reasons which we have just named. As such 
public or formal approval is not essential to 
the success of the canvass, and is even preju¬ 
dicial in the minds of a certain class of stu¬ 
dents, each student canvasser must determine 
his own course in this matter. 

We shall be very glad to enter into cor¬ 
respondence with students everywhere to enlist 
their services during vacation period. 

442. Cards of Introduction.—A visiting 
card containing nothing but the name of the 
canvasser is valuable in securing admission to 
many of the more influential homes. A card 
may be written, but it is better printed. It 
need not be expensive, but should always be of 
a good quality. It is better to use no card than 
one prepared with a rubber stamp, or in some 
other way so that it prejudices the recipient 
before ever personally meeting the canvasser. 

These cards are valuable in reference can¬ 
vassing. Where subscribers, ministers, Wo¬ 
men’s Christian Temperance Union workers, 
or others are willing to refer you to personal 
friends, or those who need the books, and will 
write the simple word u introducing” on the 
upper left hand corner of your visiting card 
and then sign their name below your printed 


THE FIELD. 


57 


name, such cards of introduction will prove 
very valuable. If they also write the name of 
the person to whom they refer you above the 
word “ introducing / 9 so much the better. Can¬ 
vassers should always be careful not to abuse 
the courtesy of such cards of introduction by 
using them with persons other than those for 
whom they were originally intended. Straight¬ 
forward, honest and honorable dealing is not 
only the right way, but the only way to suc¬ 
ceed. 

443. Canvassing a Congregation.—In a 

large city the canvassing of separate congre¬ 
gations is attended with great loss of time in 
traveling long distances and finding the resi¬ 
dences. Where the class canvassing of Sun¬ 
day-school Superintendents and teachers and 
members of Adult Classes is pursued in the 
evenings, the leading members of the different 
churches will be pretty thoroughly reached. 
In small villages, however, separate congre¬ 
gations may often be successfully canvassed, 
and to accomplish this, it is necessary to se¬ 
cure the list of members from the pastor. In 
some congregations they have printed lists, but 
where they do not have, the canvasser should 
not request the pastor to write off the list, as 
this would impose a large amount of labor 
upon him. Simply secure permission to tran¬ 
scribe the list, but do not request the privilege 
of carrying the pastor’s list away from the 
parsonage. If his visiting list does not give 
the street addresses and the pastor should be 


58 


THE FIELD. 


busy, as most pastors are, some prominent 
member of the church, like the Sunday-school 
Superintendent, or some other one of the of¬ 
ficers or teachers might be able and willing 
to supply the street addresses. No agent 
should ever over-tax or abuse ministerial kind¬ 
ness, omit to show his personal appreciation, 
or fail to make some recognition of the pas¬ 
tor’s interest or effort in the success of the 
canvasser or the sale of the books among his 
people. The present of a book would always 
be appreciated by the pastor. Where each con¬ 
gregation is to be canvassed separately, a let¬ 
ter of introduction and commendation from the 
pastor would be of great value. 

444. Secretaries of Young Men’s Christian 
Associations.—Canvassers will always find it 
to their advantage to enlist the interest and 
co-operation of the Secretary of the local 
Young Men’s Christian Association. Through 
the Secretary he may be able to secure the list 
of the members and successfully reach a very 
large number of young men connected with the 
Association. 

445. Keep Up Your Study.—While prepar¬ 
ing the field make a most careful and thorough 
study of this book of instructions. Know it 
from beginning to end. Study the alphabet¬ 
ical index. Make a daily study of chapters 
two, three, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven 
and fourteen. Examine all the other chapters 
each week and be sure to practice the physical 


THE FIELD. 


59 


culture exercises recommended in chapter four, 
and set forth in the Physical Culture supple¬ 
ment of this volume. Make yourself thorough 
master of every paragraph and every principle 
in this volume, and be prepared to write out 
answers to Review Questions sent out by the 
publishers to their canvassers. 


00 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


CHAPTER YI. 

BEGINNING THE WORK. 

446. Beginning Right.—As “a bad begin¬ 
ning makes a bad ending, ” it is necessary that 
the beginning should be right; therefore, first 
of all, 11 be sure you are right, then go ahead.’’ 

447. Personal Appearance.—In canvassing 
as in all other branches of business much will 
depend upon personal appearance. Charac¬ 
ter is manifested in a man’s dress. As we 
have no other means of judging, we must judge 
from external appearances. Until a man opens 
his mouth and says something, we can form no 
judgment except from his appearance. Noth¬ 
ing else so much affects a man’s appearance 
as his hat and shoes. The hat should always 
be chosen with care and the shoes be kept 
clean and well-polished at all times. The 
clothing should never be shabby, always free 
from spots that soil and give a slovenly ap¬ 
pearance. Clothing that has been worn for 
a few weeks always loses its shapeliness and 
can generally be made to look as good as new 
by the investment of a small amount for 
sponging and pressing. Well-combed hair, a 
clean shaven face, clean hands with nails 
properly pared and never dirty, a clean linen 
collar with a necktie that is modest and be- 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


61 


coming are essentials. Neither necktie, nor 
any other portion of the apparel, should be so 
conspicuous as to attract attention. You 
should rivet the entire attention of the cus¬ 
tomer upon your books, and therefore careful 
attention to your personal appearance is im¬ 
portant. You should be careful to have your 
teeth well-cleaned, and great care should be 
exercised to guard against an offensive breath, 
either from defective teeth, or a disordered 
stomach, which may be caused by injudicious 
eating, nervousness or excessive worry. The 
smell of tobacco is especially offensive to some 
persons and those who do smoke should always 
cleanse their mouth and wash their hands be¬ 
fore attempting to canvass. During the heat 
of the summer special care should also be taken 
to protect against effete bodily odors. 

Inattention to any of these things will mili¬ 
tate against the success of the canvasser. 

Even the impression you make at your 
boarding house will have its effect upon your 
business. Be careful about your table man¬ 
ners. Before leaving your room draw the 
sheet and covering over the foot of the bed, 
both for neatness of appearance and also for 
airing. See that your wash-bowl is emptied 
and that things are not left in confusion and 
absolute disorder in your room. 

448. Looking Inward.—When entering upon 
the work the canvasser should not only have 
regard to his external appearance, but his in¬ 
ternal or mental preparation for the work. 


62 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


There are great fundamental principles the 
value of which cannot be overestimated. It 
is well to sit down and ask oneself the ques¬ 
tion, “ ‘Who am IV ‘Shall I build up a 
reputation for myself, or continue to do busi¬ 
ness on the good name of my parents or guar¬ 
dian ? ’ ‘ Shall I add something to the value of 
their name, or have it said of me that I de¬ 
tracted from it?’ ‘Am I willing to begin at 
the bottom and work up, or do I wish to com¬ 
mence where my parents left off, not having 
had any of their experience ?’ These are very 
important questions. Success or failure is 
probably concealed in them. Here is where the 
poor boy so often steals a march upon the son 
of the rich. The poor boy has to begin where 
he can, and fight his own battles. He grows 
every inch of the way, while the son of wealthy 
parents is too often not allowed to struggle. 
Help comes to him when it is not needed. He 
is thus weakened where helping himself would 
bring strength. Thus hindered, he falls a vic¬ 
tim to the mis-named favors bestowed upon 
him. While the poor, struggling fellow knows 
every step below him, he keeps his eye upon 
the heights above and presses onward and up¬ 
ward to victory at last! The world watches 
both. It applauds and honors the one and 
pities the other. Garfield acknowledged these 
facts when he said, ‘To be poor is uncom¬ 
fortable, as I can testify, but nine times out 
of ten, the best thing that can happen to any 
young man is to be thrown overboard and com¬ 
pelled to sink or swim for himself. I never 
knew one to sink that was worth the saving.’ 


BEGINNING THE WORK . 


63 


“But poverty is no guarantee of success. It 
will act as a stimulant if you have ambition 
and pluck. If you have not, it will bind you 
as a slave, and clothe you in rags. Neither 
should wealth be a hindrance to development. 
It is only when its possession is allowed to 
deter you from entering with all your might 
into some positive effort; something which will 
arouse that mighty impulse known only to 
those who feel, ‘I must do or die.’ Such a 
feeling compels one to master the situation, 
never neglecting even the little details which 
may seem very insignificant, yet are vital to 
success.”—(K.) 

449. Have Faith in Yourself.—Have great 
purposes, expect much, be hopeful, be resolute, 
be determined, be persistent, know your books, 
believe in them, believe in yourself, know your 
canvasses so thoroughly that you can present 
the books clearly and impressively without a 
moment’s notice, whenever an opportunity is 
afforded. Few people in all their life engage in 
an occupation that is so useful, so important, 
so far-reaching in its results, so telling on hu¬ 
man destiny, both for the present and future 
generations as the work in which you are en¬ 
gaged. The business of the banker, the rail¬ 
road president—no one is engaged in an oc¬ 
cupation more honorable or more important. 
Believe in your business, believe in yourself. 
It will make you cheerful, hopeful, confident, 
courageous, triumphant. 

“Too many people are afraid of themselves. 


64 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


Their timidity hedges them in and defeats 
them in the race of life. No one should shirk 
when he has an honest proposition to present. 
Boldness in a good cause is a badge of honor 
and power. Certain things will contribute to 
this element in your character, while other 
things will detract from it. Honesty of pur¬ 
pose, a good cause, thorough preparation, re¬ 
spectable appearance, and right living will give 
all the courage needed if you persevere. On the 
other hand, an evil purpose, a bad cause, lack 
of preparation, unsightly appearance, and a 
wrong life will rob you of what courage you 
have and defeat you in the end. You cannot 
succeed unless you maintain your own self- 
respect. You must eat, sleep, walk, talk and 
live with yourself. You not only need courage 
to influence others in the right way, but to 
protect yourself from evil companions and 
influences which may surround you. 19 —(K.) 

450. “Be an Optimist, not a Pessimist.— 

The person you are canvassing for the time 
being becomes like you. If you have the blues, 
are discouraged and look upon the dark side, 
you will not secure many orders. If you are 
bright, cheerful, wide-awake, full of hope and 
sunshine, you can drive the clouds away, bring 
good cheer even to the despairing, and secure 
their orders. The optimist is master of his 
moods and can impart them to others. He 
can use a pleasant smile like a flag of truce, 
to secure a conference with an enemy. The 
pessimist is a victim of his own moods. His 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


65 


influence parches like the hot winds of the 
western plain, or stops the life current like a 
winter's blast. Some one has said that the 
pessimist will drink cream and call it skim 
milk, while the optimist can drink skim milk 
and enjoy it as cream. Be the same helpful, 
expectant, earnest, cheerful solicitor every day 
and every hour of the day. If you fail to 
close an order or several orders in succession, 
do not approach the next person in a doubt¬ 
ing, half-hearted, disappointed way, but go 
with full assurance of success, manifesting 
the same spirit as would be natural to you 
had you taken orders from the last twenty peo¬ 
ple canvassed. 1 Nothing succeeds like suc¬ 
cess. 9 Catch the spirit of success, stay with it 
and you will do business.”—(K.) 

451. “Speak the Truth at all Times.—We 

do not want any agent who has to lie to get 
business, nor do we want to sell any article 
that requires lying to sell it; neither do we 
want any business that you have to lie to get. 
Agents often make a mistake in failing to 
maintain their integrity. You cannot have and 
retain power unless you maintain self-respect. 
Any apparent temporary gain by sacrificing 
truth ends in final defeat. A reputation for 
truth and veracity is your best capital; it will 
find a listening ear for you wherever you go, 
while the opposite will close the doors against 
you. In this day of wide acquaintance and 
travel your reputation will probably precede 
you into the new territory and remain there 


66 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


after you have gone. Whether it shall be help¬ 
ful or otherwise to your business, you alone 
must determine. ,, — (K.) 

452. “Be Patient at all Times. —Be patient 
with yourself; you must develop the quality of 
endurance. Show that you are physically able 
to bear hardship and suffering, to undergo 
pain and trials without murmuring and fret¬ 
fulness. This is a necessary element for your 
success and happiness. Keep yourself in the 
right spirit and other things will be right. Go 
w'rong yourself and all other things will go 
wrong. We expect it to be too wet, too dry, 
too hot or too cold for weaklings. But the 
agent who sends in the good weekly report 
hardly observes the extreme changes in the 
weather except to take advantage of them to 
increase his business by seeking those who are 
thus temporarily disengaged. 

‘ ‘Be patient in learning this business. The 
same lessons you have to learn here in deal¬ 
ing with people will prove valuable in any 
other enterprise. If trials and disappoint¬ 
ments seem to attend you here, where would 
you go to avoid like experience? Surely not 
where any promise of success is worth win¬ 
ning. 

“Be patient with your customers; they will 
not always be patient with you. They are of¬ 
ten preoccupied, tired, overwrought, exhausted, 
disinterested or indifferent; hence, are easily 
irritated. Impatience on your part would 
surely defeat you.”—(K.) 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


67 


453. “Attend to Your Business. —This is 
absolutely necessary for success in any calling. 
Nothing will detract more quickly from your 
business standing than failure at this point. 
Business habits are being formed now that 
will make or defeat you for life. There will 
be many things that will tempt you to turn 
from the business you have in hand. ‘The 
world, the flesh and the devil ’ will camp on 
your trail if you have started out to succeed. 
These evil forces never go out of their way 
to trap the man who neglects his business 
or idles away his time—for they are dead sure 
of him in the start. 

“You will become weary of canvassing, dis¬ 
couraged at times and feel like seeking other 
employment. This might be the most fatal 
mistake you could make. But whatever your 
temptations, do not hesitate to write us fully. 
We aim to be true to you and would not want 
to advise you against your interests.”—(K.) 

454. The Voice. —A good voice is a great 
gift. There is character in the voice. Culti¬ 
vation will help the voice to express what there 
is in the thought and character. If you are 
discouraged and dispirited your customer will 
discover it in your voice. If you are earnest, 
enthusiastic and deeply impressed with the 
importance of your work and the invaluable 
character of your books, it will be told in your 
voice. Therefore look well to your mental 
attitude, but at the same time be watchful of 
your voice. Look your customer modestly but 


68 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


squarely in the eye. Speak clearly and dis¬ 
tinctly so that you can be heard, but speak 
directly to your customer and not to some im¬ 
aginary person in the next room. While you 
should not whisper as though you had some¬ 
thing to talk about that you were ashamed of, 
yet you do not want the neighbors and uninter¬ 
ested persons to hear you. Few of the per¬ 
sons whom you canvass have learned to think 
sacredly of these subjects, and you must be 
careful not to embarrass them by boisterous¬ 
ness. Let your tones be conversational, and 
let every sentence be animate with the inter¬ 
est the books so justly merit. 

455. How to Carry Your Books. —We fur¬ 
nish no prospectus. Our agents all canvass 
with the books themselves. It is always best 
to carry the full set, and in all cases where the 
indications are favorable, the canvasser should 
seek to secure an order for the entire eight 
hooks. They are written in the order of an 
educational series, and while they are some¬ 
what independent of each other, yet a knowl¬ 
edge of the contents of the entire series is es¬ 
sential to a full understanding of the whole 
subject. A person of mature years, of either 
sex, may read the entire series with perfect 
propriety and great profit. There is nothing in 
the series to men which may not with pro¬ 
priety be read by women, and there is nothing 
in the series to women which may not be read 
to advantage by men. We have a neat, con¬ 
venient and comely case, especially made, care- 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


69 


fully lined, of exact size for the entire series, 
designed to protect the books, afford the means 
of carrying and the best facility for their ex¬ 
hibition to the customer. The books should be 
arranged in their order so that when the ease 
is held on the left arm the titles on the backs 
of the books may be read in their order from 
the top downward. This enables the customer 
to understand the order of the series and the 
canvasser to select any desired book without a 
moment’s hesitation. 

The books should be kept just as clean as 
possible, and where the paper wrappers or 
covers become soiled, the canvasser should se¬ 
cure new wrappers and thus always keep his 
outfit in first class condition. Where books 
become slightly soiled they may be sold to cus¬ 
tomers at a slight reduction, but always with 
the distinct understanding that the reduction 
is made because the book is slightly worn. 

When ringing the door-bell and waiting for 
someone to respond, the case should always 
be kept out of sight and may be set by the side 
of the door so as to be unseen by the person 
who responds to the ringing of the door-bell. 
After saying that you are calling upon intel¬ 
ligent persons in the community to explain to 
them the purity movement which is being 
inaugurated in their city, and that with her 
permission you will step in for a moment so 
that she may understand the character of the 
movement and what is being accomplished in 
the city. As you move forward to enter the 
door carefully pick up your case and carry it 


70 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


in with you. Never say “I would like to step 
in and explain to you. ’ ’ This expresses doubt 
and suggests that you expect to be denied the 
privilege. But when you say as above, “With 
your permission I will step in,” you politely 
suggest that you expect to come in, and will 
do so unless they absolutely decline to have 
you do so. The exact form as we have given 
it should be committed to memory and used 
universally. 

Where canvassers are not able to purchase 
the entire set, or prefer to canvass with a few 
samples, we recommend “What A Young Boy 
Ought To Know,” “What A Young Girl 
Ought To Know” and “What A Young Wife 
Ought To Know.” Some canvassers often¬ 
times secure very good results with these three 
samples and a good supply of eight paged 
pamphlets or by the use of the tables of con¬ 
tents of the entire series which are found on 
the closing pages of “What A Young WHe 
Ought To Know . 9 9 The books should never be 
carried exposed to view. If wrapped and 
carried in the hand the covering should be 
carefully chosen and such as not to attract at¬ 
tention. It is always best to keep the books 
out of sight, and where only samples are car¬ 
ried, this can usually be done by carrying the 
books in different pockets, or in a pocket made 
specially upon the inside of the coat, or when 
carried by a woman, in the skirt of her dress. 
When wrapped and carried in the hand a rub¬ 
ber band is much better than a string. Ladies 
can also carry their three samples in a cloth 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


71 


shopping bag. Such a bag can be made out of 
common black goods so as to close at the top 
with a draw-string. 

456. Handling the Books. —The canvasser 
should seek the greatest possible skill in hold¬ 
ing his case when exhibiting the entire set, and 
after relieving himself of the case and taking 
up any one, or each of the books separately, he 
should sit or stand in such a position that 
the customer can see the portraits and com¬ 
mendations, the canvasser simply guiding the 
eye of the customer by letting his finger fol¬ 
low the particular sentences in the different 
commendations to which he refers. Do not 
read the entire commendation unless it is spec¬ 
ially suited to a particular instance. Select 
the best sentence from three or four com¬ 
mendations. Commit these sentences to mem¬ 
ory, so that you can repeat them while you are 
pointing them out and calling the special at¬ 
tention of your customer to them. Speak of 
the eminence and national or international 
character of the person who gives the com¬ 
mendation. 

Where the entire series is being canvassed 
for, the person is in a hurry, and much time 
cannot be devoted to each of the books sep¬ 
arately, in addition to the portraits and com¬ 
mendations and tables of contents give one or 
two selections that are best suited to the age 
and condition of the person being canvassed. 
This may be quite sufficient. Where the cus¬ 
tomer is being canvassed for a single book or 


72 


BEGINNING THE WORK . 


two, the canvasser can work his book and pre¬ 
pare it in advance so that the book will open 
at any desired page. 4 

457. “Working the Book.” —In order to 
work a book so that it will open at any de¬ 
sired page or paragraph, open the book fully, 
at the same time using care not to break or 
strain the back. Now, if the canvasser with 
his thumb or finger nail, or any smooth sur¬ 
face, will rub a surface near the outer and up¬ 
per corner of the book about the size of a half 
dollar, so as to render this small space upon 
the page upon the right hand and the page 
upon the left hand smooth, these two surfaces 
will slip easily upon each other, and if the 
three or four, or more, different places in the 
book to which the canvasser desires to refer 
are prepared in the same way, the canvasser 
can turn to them each successively by simply 
placing his fingers gently upon the upper right 
hand corner of the early pages of the book, 
and as he presses down and backward, his book 
will open at once to the first place where the 
pages have been smoothened in the manner we 
have indicated. After this passage has been 
referred to, simply place the hand upon the 
upper right hand page again, press gently, and 
drawing the hand back the book will open at 
the next place desired, and so on in as many 
places as may be advantageous. 

458. Canvassers’ Formulas. —The canvas¬ 
sers’ formulas printed in the latter pages of 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


73 


this book are suited for use when canvassing 
for any one of the eight books, or when can¬ 
vassing for the four books to men, or for the 
four books to women, or when canvassing a 
person for the entire set of books. This series 
of canvassers ’ formulas have been prepared 
with the utmost care, and are designed for 
daily and constant use by the canvasser. We 
have also added much matter of great value to 
those engaged in class canvassing. 

These canvasses do not contain all that 
could be said advantageously of any one of the 
books. Indeed several canvasses equally good 
might be prepared which would not contain a 
single thought or reference contained in any 
other of the canvasses of the same book. Each 
of these canvasses, however, has been made as 
good as it was possible for us to make it, and 
if it were not for a number of considerations 
which render it inadvisable to do so, we would 
require each and every canvasser to commit 
these formulas thoroughly to memory, and use 
them word for word when conducting a can¬ 
vass. 

We do not, however, require such use for a 
number of considerations: 

1. —The conditions under which the canvass 
is to be made is different in different instances. 

2. —No two of the persons to be canvassed 
are alike in education, temperament or condi¬ 
tion, and every canvass should be suited to the 
person who is being canvassed. 

3. —No two canvassers are alike mentally, 
and what would fit the mental mold of one, 


74 


BEGINNING THE WORK. 


will not fit the mental mold and conditions of 
another. No canvasser can do his best work in 
a harness that does not fit him. 

4. —It would require an extraordinary mem¬ 
ory to be able to commit these in such a man¬ 
ner as to repeat them word for word. 

5. —Not one canvasser in fifty would be able 
to repeat it without falling into a sing-song 
and unnatural tone of voice and manner. 

6. —The memorized formula would not only 
be likely to be repeated in a parrot-like fash¬ 
ion, but would destroy both the canvasser’s 
personality and his enthusiasm as well. 

These canvasses are designed to prepare the 
canvasser to show each particular book to its 
best advantage, to tell him just what to say, 
and how to say it. There is not a thought or 
a sentence which is not essential. These for¬ 
mulas should be studied over and over again, 
so as to commit thoroughly their thought and 
substance, without necessarily memorizing the 
exact words or expressions. They are designed 
to enable the canvasser to repeat the same 
substance in his own language. They should 
be studied “over and over again ” until they 
become a part of the canvasser himself. We 
have no objection to the canvasser preparing 
a better formula, if he is capable of doing so. 
Any efforts along these lines will always be 
educational and prove helpful to the canvas¬ 
ser himself. 

Each day before the canvasser starts out he 
should read a chapter in one or other of the 
books, and thus return daily to his work with 


BEGINNING THE WORK . 75 

renewed information and enthusiasm. He 
should be so enthusiastic as almost to be a 
fanatic. But if his enthusiasm is under skill¬ 
ful self-control he will not be fanatic, but a 
forceful, influential personality, and a thor¬ 
oughly successful canvasser. 

Some canvassers find it to their advantage to 
underscore neatly with red ink in the books 
themselves the particular sentences they de¬ 
sire to use in canvassing. At all events, it is 
well to have the tongue and fingers so trained 
that they will keep pace when reading and 
pointing out passages particularly impressive 
and best suited to acquaint the customer with 
the character of the books, 

459. Practising the Canvasses. —It is well 
for every canvasser after having made a thor¬ 
ough study of the canvasses, and of the books 
themselves, to practise his canvass with some 
friend before beginning his work. Some can¬ 
vassers can accomplish this same result by an 
imaginary approach to an imaginary house, 
ringing an imaginary bell, greeting an imagin¬ 
ary customer, securing an imaginary audience, 
and then canvassing an imaginary customer. 
It is important that the canvasser should se¬ 
cure great familiarity with his books and can¬ 
vasses, so as to be able to go through the can¬ 
vass without an apparent effort. When going 
through such rehearsals be dead in earnest , 
so as to discover any lack of preparation, and 
so as later to avoid failure in the actual work. 


76 


SECURING A HEARING. 


CHAPTER VII. 

SECURING A HEARING. 

459. The Three Steps. —There is a philoso¬ 
phy in canvassing. It is orderly and progres¬ 
sive. There are three successive steps, and 
these must be taken in their right order, or 
failure is inevitable. Blundering is bad in any 
business—in canvassing it is fatal. The three 
successive steps in a successful canvass are: 


1. Securing a hearing. 

2. Creating the desire. 

3. Obtaining the subscription. 

460. Knowing Your Customer. — Before 

meeting your prospective customer, if possible, 
be sure to know his or her name. In class 
canvassing this can be learned from the per¬ 
sons who have been helpful to you in arrang¬ 
ing for your class work. In a house to house 
canvass, it can be learned from the neighbors. 
Before leaving a house always inquire the 
name of the parties next door, how many con¬ 
stitute the family, something of the age of 
the people, their occupation, number of chil¬ 
dren, etc., etc. There is seldom any trouble in 
securing this information. People are always 
glad to tell you all you wish to know about 


SECURING A HEARING. 


77 


their neighbors. Get this information concern¬ 
ing the next two to be visited and then if the 
one immediately next should not be in, you will 
not be at a loss at the second house. Write 
down the names if you are liable to forget 
them. It is an egregious blunder to say, “Is 
the lady of the house in?” or “May I see the 
lady of the house?” If possible learn in ad¬ 
vance the name of the party upon whom you 
are to call. To address the person by name 
doubles your chances of gaining an attentive 
audience and securing an order. 

461. Approaching the House. —“Approach 
a home boldly and in a manly way, as though 
you were not ashamed to be seen. Knock at 
the door or ring the bell clearly and distinctly, 
not too low, too loud or too long. When you 
do this just right, the people inside will know 
that there is an energetic business man at the 
door.”—(K.) 

As far as possible, avoid canvassing persons 
on the street, on the front porch, and while 
they are standing in the door way. 

After you have rung the door-bell, the criti¬ 
cal moment has arrived. Will they respond to 
your ring? Who will come to the door? 
What will you say? These and many other 
questions will arise. 

If no one comes to the front door, then go to 
the kitchen door. If the servant girl meets 
you at the kitchen door, canvass her. She 
needs the books and hundreds of servant girls 
buy “What A Young Woman Ought To 


78 


SECURING A HEARING. 


Know.” After canvassing her, if the woman 
of the house is in, you may be able to gain 
audience with her through the servant. 

If you have trouble in gaining admission, do 
not be discouraged. In writing, one canvasser 
says: “At two homes I had trouble in gaining 
admission. At both places I sold books be¬ 
fore I got out, at one place I sold five, at the 
other I sold one.” 

When you get no response to your ringing 
of the door-bell, take the number of the house 
and return again before you leave that section, 
or if the people are away from home, return 
in a day or two. Do thorough work. 

Do not, in built-up sections, pass when in 
your canvass from one side of the street to the 
other. The people upon the opposite side may 
have seen you passing from house to house, 
take you for “some peddler” and purposely 
not respond to your knock or ring. Canvass 
around the square rather than up one side and 
down the other side of the same square. At¬ 
tention to these little details means much. 

r 

462. The Salutation. —For different modes 
of salutation we must refer the reader to the 
Canvasser’s Formulas. In view of the fact 
that we are prosecuting a great crusade for 
personal and social purity, and as the pastors 
in each city, or locality, are all enlisted and 
their co-operation has been secured before the 
canvass is begun, it is proper for the canvass¬ 
er to present himself in the light of one who is 
prosecuting the work of a special crusade in 


SECURING A HEARING. 


79 


the city, and when the head of the house, or 
some principal member of the family responds 
to the door-bell, it is perfectly proper to say, 
“I am calling upon the intelligent people in 
this neighborhood,” etc., and with your per¬ 
mission I will step in and explain to you the 
nature of the purity crusade which is being 
inaugurated, and concerning which announce¬ 
ments have been made from all the pulpits in 
the city. 

Take it for granted that you are going to be 
admitted. Indicate your expectation in your 
face, in your bearing, and picking up your 
case, which should have been placed out of 
sight at the side of the door, enter at once 
without further ceremony, unless the attitude 
and bearing of the person at the door should 
be such as to be prohibitive. In such an event 
your appearance, the expression upon your 
face, your cheerful, manly bearing, and the 
character of your response will go far to deter¬ 
mine the result. 

The statement that no intelligent person can 
afford to be ignorant of the character of the 
movement which is being inaugurated in the 
city, and that you will take but a few mo¬ 
ments of their time, is likely to be effective. 
No person likes to be thought unintelligent or 
ignorant, and the appeal to their intelligence 
is one which few people will resist. 

Where the servant responds to the ringing 
of the door-bell, the visiting card should be 
ready. Inquire whether Mrs. Jones is in. Send 
up your card without explaining the nature of 


80 


SECURING A HEARING. 


your business. Do not stand at the door, 
waiting for the servant to go and return, but 
if possible enter at once, stepping inside the 
door, hang up your hat, and step into the par¬ 
lor, take a seat, and await the coming of Mrs. 
Jones. When Mrs. Jones enters, say, “Is this 
Mrs. Jones? My name is Smith. I am call¬ 
ing on the intelligent people in this neighbor¬ 
hood to explain to them the purity crusade 
which is being inaugurated in the city, and 
which has been announced by the pastors of 
all the churches from the various pulpits. In 
order to give permanency to a purity move¬ 
ment, leaflets and tracts have been found in¬ 
effective. It requires something more per¬ 
manent, and to secure this result a special set 
of books has been prepared so as to be placed 
permanently in every home. ’ , 

With your permission I would like to show 
you this commendation, signed by all the pas¬ 
tors in the city. When reading and showing 
the commendation, if you know the denomina¬ 
tion to which Mrs. Jones belongs, call her es¬ 
pecial attention to the signature of her own 
pastor. If you have a card of personal intro¬ 
duction to Mrs. Jones, from her pastor, or a 
letter of introduction .from a friend, this will 
make your call additionally effective. 

463. Busy Persons. —Oftentimes the excuse 
of being busy is simply a pretext in order to 
get rid of the consideration of the subject you 
have to present. In such instances never allow 
yourself to be irritated. Remain calm and un- 


SECURING A HEARING. 


81 


disturbed. Insist that the movement in which 
you are engaged is so important that no intel¬ 
ligent person can afford to be ignorant of it. 
That you will take but a few moments, and as 
an intelligent person they should know about 
it, even though they should not enlist in it. 

If the person is so occupied that to persist in 
asking attention would cause irritation, then it 
is always better to seek to make a definite ap¬ 
pointment for some future time, without fur¬ 
ther disclosing the nature of your work. 

When a busy man or woman says, “I will 
see you in a moment,” sit down and wait for 
them; or if they are engaged in conversation, 
retire from their presence until they are dis¬ 
engaged. When people meet you by saying, 
“I am almost too busy to see you,” it is well 
to reply, “It is always the busy people who 
are interested in my work, idlers are not in¬ 
terested. I presume you have found it as I 
have, that if you want anything done, go to a 
busy man, he always finds time to do what 
needs to be done.” “Continuing, ‘I do not 
wish to take your time while you are so busy, 
but if you will give me just a minute I can 
show you what I have; then if you are inter¬ 
ested, I might see you again/ With this he 
will probably hear you. Then put in the best 
minute of your life. Do not attempt to say 
all that may be said, but say the few things 
that should be said in the time allotted. If you 
use this minute rightly, he will probably want % 
you to continue, as you will easily observe, or 
he may give you his order. If he says, ‘See 


82 


SECURING A HEARING. 


me some other time,’ ask him to name the 
time that will suit his convenience; then say 
to him, ‘Why not close the order now? I am 
sure you will want the book or the entire set. 
Better give me your name now; it will be help¬ 
ful in securing others.’ ”—(K.) 

464. The Honest Eye. —Throughout your 
interview look your customer squarely in the 
eye. Don’t stare him out of countenance, 
neither let your eyes avoid his glance. There 
is power and impressiveness in the human eye. 
By looking him squarely in the face you will 
have a controlling influence, and will be best 
able to read the thoughts in the mind of your 
customer. 

465. Which Book to Present. —Wlhere con¬ 
ditions evince a probability of success, the can¬ 
vasser should always seek to secure a sub¬ 
scription for the entire set of books. Where 
this would not be judicious the canvasser must 
immediately judge which book is best adapted 
to meet the needs of the person. Parents are 
always interested in their sons and daughters; 
brothers often purchase for their sisters, and 
even more frequently sisters purchase for their 
brothers. Young married people will always 
desire “What A Young Husband Ought to 
Know” and “What A Young Wife Ought to 
Know.” Where there are young children, 
the books to “Young Boys” and “Young 
Girls” will find a ready sale. Mothers are 
even more likely to purchase for their chil- 


SECURING A HEARING. 


83 


dren than the fathers. Grandparents will of¬ 
ten make purchases for their grandchildren. 
Persons of middle life will be sure to find much 
in the books addressed to men and women of 
forty-five. Sell one book where you can not 
sell more, but seek constantly to sell the en¬ 
tire set wherever possible. 

466. Undivided Attention. —After a few 
pleasant greetings, suited to secure kindly con¬ 
sideration, the canvasser should seek to secure 
the undivided attention of his customer. To 
do this he must himself be thoroughly inter¬ 
ested in his books, must proceed orderly in his 
canvass, must be quick to discover wdien the 
moment has arrived to close the canvass, 
should seek to take no more time than is nec¬ 
essary, but should proceed step by step, and 
point by point, until the customer is sufficiently 
impressed and the subscription secured. 

467. Studying People Before You Get to 
Them. —“Lincoln said that when he had an 
argument to make before a man, he spent one- 
third of his time studying the man, and two- 
thirds of his time studying himself and his 
argument. Notice what the Book of Instruc¬ 
tions says about different classes of people and 
the kind of a talk to mak^ to them. When 
you are referred to a man, find out how old 
he is, what education he has had, what his 
business is, w T hat his tastes are, what church 
he belongs to, and to what political party he 
belongs. If you don’t do these things you are 


84 


SECURING A HEARING. 


losing a splendid opportunity. When you are 
referred to a married woman find out how 
many children she has, how old they are, 
whether she is interested in reading or not, 
and whether or not her children are interested 
in reading. Generally some boy or girl is 
known through the neighborhood as a great 
reader. If you know that fact, you can al¬ 
ways make capital out of it, as it is quite a 
compliment to have you speak about it. Of 
course you must do it tactfully. Do you know 
what church the lady belongs to, and whether 
or not she is a prominent worker in church 
and society circles'? What is her husband’s 
occupation or her occupation, if she has one? 
One woman may be a dressmaker, another a 
teacher, while another may be a washer¬ 
woman, another is the banker’s wife, while 
still another is the preacher’s wife, etc. You 
should study a woman in relation to her edu¬ 
cation, her social or business position, her 
church, her children and every other important 
thing which may relate to her. Study men in 
exactly the same way. Consider every pos¬ 
sible phase of their life, then frame your ar¬ 
gument to fit your customer. An agent has to 
use his head in order to do this successfully, 
he has to use his head if he ever expects to 
have anything better than mush and milk to 
eat.”— (K.) 

468. Getting Started. — 11 Getting started in 
the book business is like getting started in any 
other kind of business, innumerable apparent 


SECURING A HEARING. 


85 


difficulties present themselves, everything is 
new. The individual is nervous. When he 
needs to know his business the best, he knows 
it the worst. He is not in the best physical 
trim the first week and for that reason he 
should watch his health, and not overdo until 
he gets a little used to it. The new agent who 
works long and hard the first day or two is 
apt to feel about as bad as the boy who goes 
into a football game without any practice. 
After exerting all one’s energy, and enthusi¬ 
asm, and nervous force during the first two 
days, the new agent will get up the third 
morning tired and stiff all over. He tries to 
work, but he has neither fire, enthusiasm nor 
magnetism. He is to a certain extent men¬ 
tally depleted. He tries to get business, but 
his arguments sound hollow and dry. They 
lack the requisite enthusiasm. Without en¬ 
thusiasm it is impossible to produce convic¬ 
tion. What is the result? You can’t close the 
order. You can’t do it simply because you 
are tired. When in that condition you are 
bound to get over into the next stage. You 
are bound to get blue. When you are tired 
and blue the best of canvassers can not get 
business. There is just one thing to do: stop 
and rest for a few hours, and then work grad¬ 
ually until you get used to it. Don’t try to 
conquer the world the first day or the first 
week. If you do you will wear yourself out 
and get discouraged. Here is where some men 
lose their nerve, and courage, as well as their 
head. Simply because they are blue and worn 


86 


SECURING A HEARING. 


out they lose confidence in themselves and the 
business and everything else. Right here is 
where you have got to rally yourself, use your 
will-power and assert your manhood. Go to 
your room, study your work over, and have a 
good sleep. You will wake up refreshed and 
ready for work and big success.”—(K.) 

469. “Getting in and Getting Started.— 

There are some men who are very rude, and, 
although they have no reason for it, brutally 
refuse an audience, but no matter what a man 
may be like he always has many good traits 
of character, and even before you see him you 
just think of him at his best ; it places you in 
a much better attitude to approach him. The 
kind of an individual you have pictured is ex¬ 
pressed in your own face, and your own free, 
easy, good-natured, confident expression admits 
you. Absolute confidence that you are going 
in, instantly brushes aside any misgivings on 
the part of the person interviewed. Let your 
whole appearance be as inviting as your face. 
Cleanliness and dress have much to do with a 
man’s reception; everything in this instance, 
because he will be misjudged if he doesn’t look 
neat and clean. Now', when you do get in, 
make your first ten words count. You can’t 
sit down and wait four or five minutes to 
1 size up your customer; ’ do that while you are 
introducing yourself. 

“It isn’t hard to get an interview. Of 
course, if a person doesn’t expect much he 
won’t get much. If a salesman feels that he is 


SECURING A HEARING. 


87 


calling on one who is much his superior, he 
will be half-hearted and fail to make an im¬ 
pression. Be alert, enthusiastic, positive in 
your nature, and positive that you are going 
to secure an interview and get business. Be 
cheerful, too. If you are feeling fine your cus¬ 
tomer will feel fine. Introduce yourself and 
come to the point at once. Let your manner be 
such as to win his confidence, for that must 
be done. You must gain and hold his atten¬ 
tion, and the more attentive he is, the more 
your suggestions will impress him. It takes 
earnestness and a fellow-feeling, and expres-* 
sion; facial expression as well as vocal. A 
good tone of voice is absolutely essential. One 
monotonous tone all the way through will kill 
the order. It isn’t necessary to learn to play 
tricks with the voice in order to be a sales¬ 
man. Simply speak clearly and distinctly and 
in a conversational tone. Sometimes drop into 
a confidential tone; then louder, then with 
more zeal and enthusiasm as you touch on dif¬ 
ferent themes. I believe the tone of a sales¬ 
man’s voice has as much to do with his suc¬ 
cess as any other one thing. By the tone of the 
voice, even more than by the words themselves, 
are the thoughts of the salesman conveyed to 
the customer. The voice betrays the emo¬ 
tions. If you are afraid your customer isn’t 
going to buy, your voice betrays your feelings, 
and to a great extent influences the customer. 
If a person contradicts you, the tone of your 
voice in reply is peculiar. A person who hasn’t 
heard the contradiction, but heard your reply, 


88 


SECURING A HEARING. 


would know that you had been contradicted. 
I have noticed many new agents using this 
tone when nothing had been said by the cus¬ 
tomer at all. The salesman simply imagines 
that if anything w r ere said it would be unfa¬ 
vorable. The tone of his voice, therefore, be¬ 
trayed his feelings and he lost the order. A 
confident tone—one that makes any customer 
feel and know that the salesman believes what 
he says 1 and expects to be believed, is good 
capital for a salesman. 

“The principal thing is to feel right. T\el 
what you say and say it with life and meaning. 
And keep an eye on your face; don’t let it 
get too long, it must express the delight and 
enthusiasm you feel. The face is the reflec¬ 
tion of inner goodness. Get a man’s confi¬ 
dence; find a bond of sympathy; it means 
much. Link your business with his, whatever 
it may be, and show him some good point 
which is considered a great advantage by ev¬ 
eryone, but a point which will be of special in¬ 
terest to a man engaged in his particular busi¬ 
ness. Put enthusiasm into your every utter¬ 
ance. Get your customer’s confidence as soon 
as possible, and that’s something that can’t 
be done haphazard. Every customer has a 
head and he has intuition, although not so 
much intuition as the salesman, but he will 
size you up according to his standard and do 
it quickly. If he gets the wrong impression the 
sale is likely lost, for a customer doesn’t buy 
your books simply because he likes them, but 
because he likes the salesman also. How 


SECURING A HEARING. 


89 


important then it is to get his good-will and 
his confidence. It means not only a sale, but a 
successful career. 

11 First of all, appear well. See that your 
personal appearance is all that could be de¬ 
sired ; not flashy, but neat. A high collar 
is not so important as a clean one. Be at your 
best; feel your best; and then you will look 
your best. Above all things, be upright. Have 
the consciousness of a righteous cause; hon¬ 
estly conduct it, and then be yourself. Be na¬ 
tural, polite, courteous, modest, and in ear¬ 
nest. Have around you a success atmosphere 
and an enthusiasm that wins. Don’t be bois¬ 
terous or loud. Be wide awake, but let your 
tone be low, natural and conversational, and 
your statements modest. Don’t make big 
statements at first; I mean, don’t claim for 
your books everything they are entitled to. 
He will think it too good to be true, and get 
suspicious. Don’t, if possible, begin by tell¬ 
ing him something new. Tell him something 
that he himself knows and knows to be true, 
then you have his confidence and you can 
gradually unfold to him the splendid possi¬ 
bilities of your books. Describe them to him 
in the most glowing terms and convince him 
of their worth; you can’t say too much. Put 
your personality into them. Put personality 
and vim into your every move, thought and 
word. ’ ’—From 11 The Personal Helper. ’ ’ Copy¬ 
righted, 1905, by George H. Knox. 


90 


CREATING DESIRE. 


CHAPTER yin. 

CREATING DESIRE. 

470. The Auspicious Moment. —Having 
gained an audience and having successfully 
secured the attention of the customer, your 
work is auspiciously begun. All that has pre¬ 
ceded has been done simply to secure the op¬ 
portunity to impress the person with the im¬ 
portance of the work, the invaluable charac¬ 
ter of the books, to awaken interest and cre¬ 
ate desire. Desire must precede demand. The 
customer desires his dollars, and is going to 
hold on to them until you create in his mind 
a desire for your books which shall exceed 
the desire which he has for his dollars. He 
knows the value of his dollars, he does not 
know the value of your books. The value 
of any one book in the seriei is not one dol¬ 
lar, that is the price, but the value exceeds 
the value of many dollars. To many persons 
the information which they contain is invalu¬ 
able. Whatever value the individual places 
upon happiness, blessing, prosperity and 
health, that is the value of the book which 
is best suited to his need. It is your business 
to help the customer to understand the char¬ 
acter and value of these books. Your success 
or failure will be in proportion to your ability 
to do this. If you are not thoroughly familiar 


CREATING DESIRE . 


91 


with the books, do not understand the univer¬ 
sal need for their widest possible circulation, 
if you do not yourself appreciate their value 
and their indispensable character, you will 
never be able to make your customer feel it. 
You can create no greater interest in the mind 
of others than you have in your own mind. 
Water cannot rise above its level. 

471. They Know Nothing About the Books. 

—Many persons upon whom the canvasser 
calls have seen the advertisements of the 
books in the magazines and periodicals, some 
have heard of the books through their friends, 
occasionally persons are waiting to subscribe; 
but you must remember that the great mass 
of people upon whom you call have never 
heard of the books, know nothing of their 
value, and of course do not want to buy 
either the set or any one of the books. They 
not only do not know anything about the 
books, neither will they ever know anything 
about them, unless you wisely and judiciously 
use your opportunity to acquaint them with 
their character and value. 

Never make the mistake of securing an au¬ 
dience, telling that you are selling some 
Purity Books, and asking, “Don't you want to 
subscribe ? ’’ Of course, they do not want 
to subscribe. A person never lived who wants 
to subscribe for a book until somebody has 
interested them in it. They never heard of the 
book, they would not even thank you if you 
were to give them one of these books; much 


92 


CREATING DESIRE. 


less are they ready to subscribe and pay a dol¬ 
lar for it. It is your business to make them 
intelligent with regard to its character and 
value, awaken a strong desire, and the sub¬ 
scription is yours without asking for it. To 
make it emphatic, let me repeat again, when 
you get into the presence of your customer 
remember that the desire to possess the book 
does not exist, but that it is your especial 
business, and that you have come for the 
very purpose of creating that desire. If you 
fail in that, your failure is complete. 

Let the thought of the subscription itself 
sink for the present into oblivion. The per¬ 
son who is before you has great need, has suf¬ 
fered much in the past, is suffering in the 
present, and will continue to suffer in the fu¬ 
ture for the lack of the very information 
which these books contain. You are this per¬ 
son’s benefactor. Intellectually, physically, 
socially this person is being measurably fam¬ 
ished. He or she is suffering for the lack of 
the very information these books contain. 
Your appreciation of their need, your acquaint¬ 
ance with the books and ability to present 
their merits will prove this person’s blessing. 
If you fail in this matter, you have not only 
lost an opportunity to do good, but your fail¬ 
ure will result in loss of happiness and bless¬ 
ing not only to the person you are canvass¬ 
ing, but to the generations which are to come 
after. Rise to the level of both your privilege 
and your duty, and you will leave benediction 
and blessing in pretty much every home you 
enter. 


CREATING DESIRE. 


93 


If the only way to sell these books is to 
make the people want them, then the way to 
accomplish this is by an intelligent and im¬ 
pressive description of the books themselves. 
It is usually best to keep them in your own 
hands. Possession is power. When you sur¬ 
render the book you lose the power to show 
it. You will no longer be leading the thought 
of your customer, but will be allowing his 
mind to stray and wander. Control your cus¬ 
tomer and be the leading spirit, and to this 
end it is best to keep the book in your own 
hand. If the customer persists in getting the 
book into his hands, let him have it for a mo¬ 
ment, and then talk about something in the 
book which you desire to show him, and thus 
get the book back into your own hands. 

472. Canvassing People in Groups. —If you 

are unexpectedly thrown into a company of 
several persons whom you cannot gather about 
you while you describe any one book, then it 
may be well to hand to the different persons in 
the company copies of such books as may be 
best suited to their gender and age. Such an 
occasion demands great tact and requires the 
skill of a general, but when such a canvass 
is well managed, not only several books, but 
sometimes several sets can be sold at one time 
to different members of the same company. It 
is well, however, never to seek to canvass peo¬ 
ple in groups, but always singly and alone. 

473. Do Not be Afraid to Talk. —If you 

are a salesman, people expect you to talk. 


94 


CREATING DESIRE. 


They expect you to understand your books, and 
to be able to tell them intelligently concerning 
their merits. You cannot do justice to your¬ 
self or to your books unless you talk, but talk 
to the point. Entertain and instruct your 
customer, if possible. Tell him a lot of things 
he does not know, but do not let him suspect 
for one moment that you fancy that he does 
not already know. Tell him things which you 
are confident he already knows, for his recog¬ 
nition of the truth of your statements will 
confirm him in the conviction that you know 
what you are talking about when speaking of 
things which he has not himself understood. 
Do not either by word or manner suggest to 
your customer that you think him uninformed 
of what you are telling him. He will be more 
appreciative and more influenced if by your 
manner you presume that he already knows 
what at the same time you know that he does 
not know. Be exceedingly respectful. Be 
hopeful, be confident, be enthusiastic, but be 
respectful and deferential at all times. Be po¬ 
lite, but not silly, be confident, but not domi¬ 
neering; be intelligent, but not presuming. 

474. Neither Weary Nor Hurry.—Do not 

weary your customer. Be as brief as possible. 
His time is as valuable as yours. At the same 
time do not hurry, be calm, be deliberate, 
take all the time that is necessary, but not a 
moment more than is needed. Watch your 
customer’s face. As soon as you discover that 
he is thoroughly interested close the order. 


V RE A TIN (J DEE l RE. 


93 


475. The Needs of the Poor.—Well-equip¬ 
ped canvassers frequently desire to canvass 
only among the wealthy, because they have the 
better opportunity to sell the books in com¬ 
plete sets. Most canvassers find their best 
customers and their readiest sales among the 
great middle class—those who are neither very 
rich, nor very poor. But the canvasser who is 
best equipped for his work recognizes also the 
needs of the very poor. Some canvassers will go 
into homes where they have no carpets, but lit¬ 
tle furniture, and only the barest necessities 
and allow themselves to feel that these people 
are too poor to buy books. There may be such 
instances, but as a rule the canvasser is doing a 
great injustice to these people when he does 
not canvass them just as thoroughly and as 
conscientiously as if they had every indica¬ 
tion of affluence and wealth. Nine cases out 
of ten, the cause of their poverty and the ab¬ 
sence of manifest comforts is due to nothing 
else, so much as their lack of the very infor¬ 
mation which these books contain. 

Henry Clay came from just such a home, 
and he said, “A wise mother and good books 
enabled me to succeed in life. My mother was 
very poor, but never too poor to buy books for 
her children. It is a mean sort of poverty that 
starves the mind to feed the body. ” Lincoln, 
Garfield, and thousands of men who became 
the most prominent and most useful figures in 
this country have come from homes just such 
as these. It was helpful books that lifted 
these boys to places of eminence. It was great 


96 


CREATING DESIRE. 


truths that inspired and made men of them, 
and the canvasser who passes by or in any 
way whatsoever slights any one of these fam¬ 
ilies is often actually wronging the very ones 
whom he may think he is benefitting. 

Some of the most appreciative letters we 
have ever received at the office of publication, 
have come from just such homes of poverty. 
Women who scrubbed and washed, have writ¬ 
ten us that they would sooner deny their chil¬ 
dren a bag of flour, than to have denied them 
the benefits and blessings which they secured 
from the reading of “What A Young Boy 
Ought To Know” and “What A Young Girl 
Ought To Know, ” and from the books to 
young men and young women. We appeal 
both to your sense and your sentiment. If 
these books are a benefaction and a blessing 
to humanity then their benefits cannot be de¬ 
nied to the poor without doing them great 
wrong. When you take their dollar and give 
them one of these books you are giving them 
what in most instances is worth ten times as 
much as the amount they pay. If a circus or 
minstrel show were to come to town every 
member in many of these families would have 
twenty-five, fifty cents, or a dollar to spend, 
and for that which is no benefit. They need 
these books, and these books will be a bless¬ 
ing to them in every way, and it is your duty 
to make them appreciate this fact. You do 
them great injustice if you think they are too 
poor to purchase. 


CREATING DESIRE. 


9 


476. Defeating Desire.—The canvasser who 
would successfully create in the mind of his 
customer the desire to possess the books must 
studiously guard against those influences which 
defeat desire. A bad breath, dirty collar or 
cuffs, garments that are soiled with grease 
spots or unkempt and uneared for in appear¬ 
ance, bodily odors that suggest the need of a 
bath, rudeness, irritability, a boisterous man¬ 
ner and uncontrolled voice, dirty nails with 
untidy hands and unshaven face, beard or hair 
neglected and untrimmed—these and scores of 
other things which suggest themselves to the 
mind of any thoughtful person may prejudice 
the customer and prevent even the possibility 
of successfully presenting the books for their 
consideration. Every canvasser who is not 
succeeding as he desires, and many who are, 
should frequently sit down with themselves 
and consider by what methods they are de¬ 
feating themselves. 

477. Self-Depreciation.—Some canvassers 
defeat themselves by self-depreciation. When 
in the presence of professional and learned 
people, and oftentimes when in the presence 
of those who have only an ordinary education 
but who are cultured and refined, they feel 
that they are unfitted to influence those who 
are manifestly their superiors. Such a feel¬ 
ing or sense of personal lack is a great mistake. 
No person however learned is the superior of 
other persons in every respect. They may be 
superior in some respects, or even in many 


98 


CREATING DESIRE . 


but not in all respects. If you were to meet 
the President of the United States for the pur¬ 
pose of canvassing him for the Purity Books 
in the Self and Sex Series, if you understand 
your books, appreciate their value and know 
how to present them for his consideration you 
are in that respect his superior. Upon the 
subject in hand the canvasser should be the. su¬ 
perior of any and every person, both men and 
women whom he meets, and with such super¬ 
iority in the matter presented for mutual con¬ 
sideration the canvasser should not depreciate 
but appreciate himself. He should command 
himself and all of his resources upon the sub¬ 
ject in hand, and he will demonstrate his su¬ 
periority to others and also to himself, and 
even if he should fail to secure an order, he 
will be conscious of the superior manner in 
which he has presented his cause and influ¬ 
enced the mind of his auditor. 

478. Influencing all Classes.—One of the 

greatest personal benefits of canvassing is that 
you will meet all classes, will appreciate where¬ 
in they differ, and at the same time discover 
that all are human, and consequently very 
much alike. Neglect no class, neither high nor 
low, learned or unlearned, rich or poor. Be at 
ease in the presence of all, command their re¬ 
spect, mould and fashion their thought con¬ 
cerning your books, so that they will prize 
them as you do, and as they are prized by the 
best of people around the world. 

479. Meet People on Their Level.—People 


CREATING DESIRE. 


99 


are interested in the subjects which relate to 
their own occupation. Know all you can 
about every branch of business so as to meet 
persons of different occupations upon their own 
plane. Adapt your manner, your thought, your 
speech to the understanding and conditions of 
each class. Talk to them of the things in which 
they are interested. Draw your illustrations 
from their own field of thought. Study to be 
entertaining. Surprise them with your ac¬ 
quaintance with the things in which they are 
least acquainted and most interested. Never 
ignore the children, always take notice of them 
when you enter a home, speak to them, shake 
hands with them, say something to their edifi¬ 
cation. Remember that a mother is always 
proud of her children. All mothers can be 
influenced through their children as in no 
other way. 

480. Proceed Orderly.—The human mind is 
so constituted that it can deal with but one 
thing at a time. Seeure attention, begin at the 
beginning, proceed orderly, advance step by 
step. Do not allow yourself to be interrupted, 
evade every question. Feel and impress the 
importance of the books so deeply that all 
questions, all doubts, all objection will vanish. 
Go steadily forward. If you surpass yourself, 
and so deeply impress your customer that he is 
ready to order before you are one-third through 
your canvass, “clinch the nail on the other 
side;” “make the weld while the iron is hot.” 
If you keep on describing the books after you 


Lore. 


100 


CREATING DESIRE. 


have thoroughly aroused his interest he may 
cool off and you may lose the order. If you 
are inspired by your subject and have inspired 
your customer, he will sometimes say, “I will 
take a copy” or “I will put my name down,” 
before you are half ready to ask him. In such 
an event take the subscription at once, then 
start in again and try to interest him in the 
entire series. Show him the importance of 
having the entire set of books as a matter of 
reference in his library, the important in¬ 
fluence they will have upon the minds of his 
children, that if his sons and daughters de¬ 
sire to know anything along these lines they 
will have a treasure-house where they can ob¬ 
tain the information and in a pure, clean way. 
The subject is sacred, the questions in the 
minds of his sons and daughters are natural, 
and their inquiries should be answered in a sa¬ 
cred way. 

Sometimes the customer, because he is not 
interested, asks the canvasser the price of the 
books. Unless the canvasser is absolutely sure 
that he is ready to subscribe, he should evade 
the question, or go straight-forward with his 
canvass, as if he had not heard it. Some times 
it might be well to respond: 11 That is one 
beauty of our books. The publishers have 
placed the price so low that they are within 
the reach of all.” Then go right on with the 
canvass. 

481. How to Do It.—After all that has 
been said the canvasser still desires to ask the 


CREATING DESIRE. 


101 


great central question, 11 Row shall I create 
the desire V 1 In this book of instructions we 
have brought together many scores of princi¬ 
ples and hundreds of suggestions, all of which 
are important and many absolutely indispen¬ 
sable to success. All of these contribute and 
lead up to the great central thought of cre¬ 
ating in the mind of the customer the desire 
to possess the books. At the same time the 
canvasser at this important point in his in¬ 
struction still asks the question, “How to cre¬ 
ate the desire. ” We can only answer this un¬ 
answerable question by illustration. 

This book of instruction is like a well-equip¬ 
ped carpenter shop. It has saws of every kind, 
cross-cut saws, rip saws, buzz saws, scroll 
saws, and every other kind of a saw. It has 
planes of all kinds, rules and squares, gimlets 
and augers, patterns of every variety, drafts 
and drawings of every description, and the 
yard outside is filled with lumber of every va¬ 
riety, pine and hemlock, hickory and mahog¬ 
any, chestnut and oak, white pine and black 
walnut, absolutely not wanting a single variety 
of choicest material from all the forests in the 
world, and yet a man may stand in the midst 
of this all, and ask, after years devoted to the 
acquisition of his trade, how to construct a 
house, how to build a palace, how to make fur¬ 
niture and every variety of thing which should 
come from a shop equipped as this is. 

It is easy to understand that there is just one 
equipment which this shop still lacks, namely, 
the MAN—a man who has the character, the 


102 


CREATING DESIRE. 


ingenuity, the genius, the personality to put 
life into this entire establishment. Without 
that man, all this machinery, all this equipment 
and this accumulation of materials has no 
value. With this man added, these things are 
invaluable, and the degree of their value is de¬ 
termined, not by the things themselves, their 
value remains unchanged, but is determined by 
the man himself. 

The same principle applies to the selling of 
the books in the Self and Sex Series. It is the 
same in every occupation, profession and walk 
of life. It is the grasping of the great prin¬ 
ciples, and incorporating them in ourselves, the 
making them part of our own being that con¬ 
stitutes a great man. In so far as men fail to 
do this, they remain mean and miserable, or 
rise only to the level of the great mass of ordi¬ 
nary men and women. 

Even among great men, there are great dif¬ 
ferences Luther was different from Melanch- 
thon, Calvin from Knox, and Whitfield from 
Wesley. Beecher, Spurgeon and Talmage were 
all great preachers, but as between themselves, 
they were as different as darkness from day¬ 
light. The greatness of each consisted in per¬ 
sonal characteristics which are not possessed 
by any one of the others. It was this that 
constituted his individuality, his personality. 
It is the same among statesmen, among lawyers, 
among physicians and great men of every class. 
They differ because of individuality and per¬ 
sonality. If it were not for this individuality 
and personality the graduates of each school 


CREATING DESIRE. 


103 


of theology, law and medicine would all be 
alike, the same as the furniture or chairs or 
any other product from the same mill. 

The principle is the same in canvassing. One 
canvasser is different from another because of 
his personality, his individuality, and it is be¬ 
cause of this individuality and personality that 
it is impossible to tell anyone just how to cre¬ 
ate in the mind of the customer the desire 
which will secure for the canvasser the order 
which he seeks. No two canvassers will can¬ 
vass the same person in the same way. If they 
were both to attempt to do it after the same set 
pattern, or just as some other successful can¬ 
vasser has done it, both would measurably fail. 
Their methods must be perfectly fitted to their 
own mental constitution and to that of no¬ 
body else. In their canvass they must be them¬ 
selves. They must be natural, or they will not 
be effective. Just how to adapt all these prin¬ 
ciples, suggestions and instruction to his own 
use, how to comprehend, appropriate and make 
this book of instructions part of his very self, 
the same as he digests, appropriates and makes 
part of himself the great nourishing principles 
in the food which he eats, it would be impossi¬ 
ble to tell. Just so is each canvasser to make 
this book of instruction and all the helps which 
are furnished by the publisher part and parcel 
of his own individuality, personality and suc¬ 
cessful self. 

It is for just this reason that we have in¬ 
sisted again and again throughout these pages 
upon constant and continued study of the 


104 


CREATING DESIRE. 


principles here set forth by each canvasser. 
No college student would think of taking a 
text-book the size of this book of instruction, 
and becoming master of it by simply spending 
one or two hours in reading it. A student de¬ 
votes one or two hours daily, sometimes for an 
entire year to the mastery of the principles and 
instruction of a book of not one-half the im¬ 
portance or value of the book you hold in your 
hand. Not only your success as a canvasser, 
but your success in whatever profession or oc¬ 
cupation you may enter upon in life will be 
dependent upon the mastery of the great prin¬ 
ciples which are enunciated in this book. The 
man who masters this book of instruction and 
makes these principles part of himself can 
succeed in any business he undertakes. 

482. Important Helps.—In creating desire 
the canvasser has many helps. When opening 
the books and showing the portraits of the 
authors he should be thoroughly acquainted 
with the main facts concerning Dr. Stall, Dr. 
Mary Wood-Allen and Dr. Emma F. A. Drake, 
found in the later pages of this book of in¬ 
struction. 

The commendations.in the front of the book 
are from not only prominent, but from many 
of the most eminent men and women in this 
and other lands. When pointing out a single 
choice sentence from these commendations call 
attention to the portraits, and be able to tell 
the customer something about the eminent per¬ 
son at whose portrait he is looking. 


CREATING DESIRE. 


105 


When you turn to the table of contents 
know your customer, and know your book so 
as to be able to call attention to such portions 
as would be best suited to interest the per¬ 
sons you are canvassing. If you point out 
certain paragraphs in the book itself, use the 
same tact and wisdom. 

Fix clearly in your mind wherein these books 
differ from any other books upon the subject 
of sex ever written: 

1. The authors have constantly kept in mind 
the thought which must have been in the mind 
of the Creator when He created man and wo¬ 
man and constituted them as He did. 

2. The authors have dealt with purity, and 
not with impurity. With the normal, and not 
with the abnormal man and woman. 

3. The subjects suited to men and women in 
different periods of life are in separate vol¬ 
umes, and yet there is nothing in any one of the 
books to men which may not he read with per¬ 
fect propriety by any woman, and there is 
nothing in any of the books to women which 
may not properly be read by men. Indeed, 
men ought to read not only the books addressed 
to men, but also those addressed to women, 
and women ought to read not only the books 
addressed to women, but also those addressed 
to men. 

Persons who would be intelligent should be 
appealed to upon the importance of having the 
entire series in their home as permanent books 
of reference. 

A strong argument with parents is the en- 


106 


CREATING DESIRE. 


couragement, inspiration and help these books 
will be to their children. They will make their 
boys and girls intelligent, and save them from 
the defilement of the school and the street. 
The books to young men and young women 
will safeguard and save their sons and daugh¬ 
ters, and no young man or young woman in 
the family should be permitted to marry until 
they have read copies of both “ Young Hus¬ 
band” and “Young Wife.” 

No person of mature years, whether married 
or unmarried, can afford to be without copies 
of “Young Husband” and “Young Wife,” 
and from the very beginning, both men and 
women ought to look forward to the period of 
middle life and understand the significance of 
the physical changes which await at that time. 
The adolescence of later life is as important to 
the man and the woman as the adolescence of 
childhood to the growing boy and girl. Peo¬ 
ple are laboring and struggling to make pro¬ 
visions for the later years, and such a pro¬ 
vision ought to consist not simply in money, 
but in information, in intelligence, in wisdom. 


SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 107 


CHAPTER IX. 

SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 

483. The Critical Moment.—If the canvas¬ 
ser has not failed in creating the desire, he 
will not fail in securing the subscription. If 
he has failed in sizing up his customer, in 
presenting the merits of the books; if he has 
blundered anywhere in the canvass itself, if 
he has failed to impress his customer so deeply 
that he has not overcome all objections and 
caused the customer to desire the books more 
than he desires the money which he will pay 
for them, then the moment of closing the can¬ 
vass and securing the subscription is a critical 
moment. If he has succeeded thoroughly in 
creating the desire, the moment of closing the 
subscription is not a critical moment at all. 
The subscription will come as a matter of 
course. It will frequently be offered without 
asking for it. 

In most instances, however, the closing of 
the canvass is measurably critical. There is 
a psychological moment, and just when that 
psychological moment arrives the canvasser 
must be quick to discover. If the customer is 
ready to subscribe when the canvasser is not 
half through with his canvass, that is the in¬ 
stant to conclude the canvass and secure the 
subscription. Accept the subscription at any 


108 SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 


moment you can secure it, but do not mistake, 
and never ask for it until you are reasonably 
sure. During your canvass you may ask many 
questions, and oftentimes to great advantage, 
but never ask a question which could be an¬ 
swered by “No.” If when seeking to con¬ 
clude the canvass you discover that a negative 
is probable, evade the issue. No canvasser 
can show up one-tenth of the good points in 
the book in a single canvass and when the cus¬ 
tomer shows signs of faltering, and the can¬ 
vasser recognizes that he is likely to fail, then 
he should start anew to call attention to other 
good points of the book. If you have chosen 
the book in the series most suitable to your 
customer, start in again along new lines to re¬ 
canvass. Do not hesitate, do not waver, do 
not be discouraged, be hopeful, be confident. 
You must labor with your customer for his own 
good. If it is a parent show him that the 
possession of the knowledge contained in the 
book is essential to every intelligent person, 
and that it is a duty which parents owe to 
their children and family to supply them with 
the books. 

484. Reserve Power. —Even at the conclu¬ 
sion of a splendid canvass there may be hesi¬ 
tation. The customer may be interested, but 
hardly thinks he can afford it. If he falters, 
you must not. In such a moment you must be 
supreme. If you have full command of your 
books and of yourself, you will be likely to 
have command of your customer, and also of 


SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 109 


the subscription. This is the moment for the 
use of reserve power. No good general has all 
his forces in the field at the beginning of an 
engagement. He always has a large force in 
reserve. These are never called into action 
unless necessity requires. 

If the canvasser is full of the books, he al¬ 
ways has an array of reserve facts at his com¬ 
mand. He can show up new points. Call at¬ 
tention to new features, reimpress the argu¬ 
ments which have already shown themselves 
as most influential. 

There are a number of things which each 
canvasser would do well to hold in reserve. 
Such as the copies of the translations printed 
on the opening pages, just back of the por¬ 
traits and commendations. He can call atten¬ 
tion to the press notices in the closing pages 
of the book. He can point out press notices in 
particular papers, and probably the literary, 
educational and religious periodicals with 
which the person is well acquainted. He can 
call attention to the array of names of emi¬ 
nent persons who have endorsed the entire 
series. He can call attention to the long list 
of names of prominent people in the customer's 
own city and community who have already 
subscribed. These and many other resources 
are at the command of the canvasser. 

With persons of even modest prominence in 
the community it is proper to suggest that you 
desire their personal influence in this great 
campaign. That their name will be helpful to 
you in this work, that it will influence others 


110 SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 


for their good, both in the neighborhood and in 
adjacent towns. That they will never regret 
having placed the book in their library, and 
that its value cannot be measured by money 
alone. 

Always preserve your dignity. Do not place 
the securing of the subscription upon the ba¬ 
sis of charity. You may seek to persuade, but 
do not coax. You are not a “beggar,” but a 
benefactor. You are giving people what is 
worth many times the price they pay, and in 
many instances worth thousands of times the 
dollar they invest. In very many instances it 
will prove the best investment the purchasers 
have ever made or ever will make. 

485. A Final “No.”—Do not be too easily 
put off. Remember the “No” is not always 
the final answer. In canvassing, as in court¬ 
ship, no is often only another form for yes. 
Mary, Queen of Scots, said no to Lord Darn- 
ley, went home and immediately began making 
preparations for the wedding. Many orders 
are taken after the customer had said * 1 No ’ ’ a 
half dozen times. 

If, however, it is possible, avoid a definite 
and final “No.” After the customer has 
positively said no, you may in many instances, 
succeed in making him desire to possess the 
book ever so much but he will stand firm be¬ 
cause he does not like to seem to change his 
mind. He will not go back on his word. Re¬ 
member that you cannot drive people. You can 
lead them, you can convince them, you can per- 


SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. Ill 


suade them, but you cannot drive them. With 
most people no does not mean no. With some 
people no means no, and it does not mean any¬ 
thing else, and when you get no from a person 
of that kind, the only way to get him to change 
his mind is to accept his no so instantly and 
so completely that you surprise him. Begin to 
talk immediately about something else. Draw 
him into conversation upon some subject in 
which he is personally interested, and two 
chances out of three, before you leave him you 
will secure his subscription, or at least make 
him sorry that he did not subscribe. You will 
at least make a friend of him, and possibly he 
will give you the names of some of his ac¬ 
quaintances with a card of recommendation to 
them. 

486. Asking Questions.—It is often both 
good and helpful to ask questions during your 
canvass. This method may be made to add 
emphasis to what you say. It will help you 
to discover the “temper’’ of your customer. 
It may be made to prepare the way for the 
final “Yes” which you seek. “If you will 
watch yourself, you can secure such approvals 
at the close of almost every paragraph you 
read or every statement you make. For ex¬ 
ample, ‘ Isn’t that good?’ ‘Every person ought 
to hear that.’ ‘That is true, isn’t it?’ ‘I am 
sure you like that.’ ‘You would like your 
children to know that, wouldn’t you?’ ‘Don’t 
you think that would be good for your child ? ’ 
‘When such persons speak to us we should lis- 


112 SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 


ten, shouldn’t we?’ etc. After the persons 
canvassed thus respond to several of your sug¬ 
gestions, it is a much easier matter for them 
to say, 1 When do you deliver ? ’ Tell them, and 
close right up by suggesting, 1 Guess that time 
will suit you all right,’ Say ‘thank you’ and 
close the order without another word. Deter¬ 
mine all other matters after the name has been 
written in your book. Increase the order until 
it includes as many of the series as they can 
be induced to buy, then complete the record in 
your guarantee order book, saying that this is 
necessary in order to complete your report to 
the company and to keep the records straight, 
and to guarantee that the books delivered will 
be just like the samples shown. Ask them for 
the names of friends and neighbors who ought 
to have the books. Write these names in your 
blank book as previously suggested. Thus you 
will find the interest in your books growing 
and your field constantly becoming more pro¬ 
lific.”—(K.) 

487. One Method of Appeal.—“People are 
all alike. They seem to manifest the greatest 
differences, yet as you come to know them 
more intimately they are like brothers and sis¬ 
ters—all of one blood. There is a language 
common to all. They are all stirred by the 
same emotions, though some more deeply than 
others. The words mother, father, your son, 
your daughter, my child, my brother, my sis¬ 
ter, have a meaning all their own, without re¬ 
gard to race or nationality. 


SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 113 


“Give first your intelligent reasons why the 
person canvassed should order your books, then 
follow your reasoning with an appeal to the 
human heart, which you may impress by urg¬ 
ing them to do their duty, Hake advantage of 
the present opportunity, ’ ‘ avail yourself of this 
privilege/ ‘get the books while you can/ ‘pro¬ 
cure them now when they will do the most 
good,—you know your boy will soon be grown 
up/ etc. 

‘ ‘ It is your business to draw and center their 
thoughts on the matter of interest to their 
hearts. This is the climax of canvassing for 
this class of books. It is natural for people 
to want to do what they can for the ones they 
love. You must recognize the relationships 
above indicated and the consequent emotion of 
the human heart in that direction if you ex¬ 
pect to succeed. All the arguments you can 
command may be centered here.”—(K) 

488. Conditional Orders.—All orders taken 
should be unconditional if possible. Occa¬ 
sionally a customer, because of being thor¬ 
oughly conscientious is unwilling to place a 
positive order, but will place a conditional or¬ 
der, dependent upon the recovery of some mem¬ 
ber of the family from sickness, the securing 
of employment or some other reasonable con¬ 
dition, and under such circumstances we have 
no objection to the canvasser accepting the 
conditional subscription. Such subscriptions, 
however, should not be included in the weekly 
report. That summary is intended to include 
only positive and unconditional orders. 


114 SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 


Some publishing houses advise their canvas¬ 
sers to secure names of prominent persons upon 
their subscription list with the understanding 
that no books are to be delivered. 11 Such 
names are only intended to influence others to 
become subscribers .’ 1 We regard such a meth¬ 
od as dishonest, because it is an attempt to se¬ 
cure business under false pretences. Such a 
method would compromise both your publisher 
and yourself. 

489. Special Subscription List.—Occasion¬ 
ally you will find persons who desire the books 
but do not wish their names placed in a list 
which is to be shown to others. The young 
man who expects soon to marry usually desires 
“What A Young Husband Ought To Know” 
and “What A Young Wife Ought To Know,” 
but he does not want anybody to know that he 
has subscribed for these books. His feeling is 
perfectly natural, and should be respected. 
The same is true also of young women, they 
will also frequently subscribe for several of 
the books in the series, but they do not wish 
everybody to know that they have done so. It 
is easy to have a special list of names which is 
not placed constantly upon exhibition. Al¬ 
ways accommodate yourself to the wishes of 
such persons. You may even anticipate such a 
feeling and suggest that their names will be 
placed in a separate list, and that they will 
not be seen by other persons. 

490. Evasive Promises.—Persons oftentimes 


SECUR1XG THE 8UBSCRIPT 10X. 


115 


seek to evade the canvasser by asking for his 
name and post office address, suggesting that 
they will let him know by postal, or will send 
him a definite order later on. Out of 100 prom¬ 
ises of this character a canvasser is not likely 
to receive a single communication of any sort, 
much less an order. There is only one way to 
secure the order and that is to secure it while 
you are present. If you fail to secure the or¬ 
der at the time, you may regard your failure as 
complete. The only way to confirm a deferred 
subscription is to call personally again a little 
later on. 

491. Fixing Date of Delivery. —The question 
of the date of delivery and payment is often 
influential in determining the question of sub¬ 
scription. In agricultural communities a date 
when grain is usually sold, when apples are 
picked, when potatoes are sent to market, when 
sheep are sheared, the lambs sold, the cotton 
picked and sold, the turkeys or the poultry sent 
to market—periods such as these may be well 
chosen as the date for delivery. 

In manufacturing centres the question of 
11 pay-day ” is all important. If the date of 
delivery can be fixed for the evening of pay¬ 
day, or the day following, or at a period not 
later than a couple of days after the pay-day, 
it is the best. After the subscription is se¬ 
cured chat pleasantly for a few moments in an 
agreeable and entertaining manner. By this 
means you may gain the respect and esteem of 
the person and prepare the way for a cordial 


SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 


110 

welcome for both yourself and the books when 
the day of delivery comes. It might be well 
also to suggest to the person the importance 
of having the money ready when you call, as 
you will be hurried and they will thus be as¬ 
sisting you to save your time. 

Where persons are comfortably fixed they 
frequently desire their books immediately, and 
if the canvasser can arrange to deliver them 
when he returns to that same neighborhood in 
the after part of the day or the day following, 
it may be agreeable to the customer and ad¬ 
vantageous to the canvasser. When taking the 
order it might be well to say, “I can deliver 
this book next Saturday. Will that be soon 
enough ? ’ ’ By using such portions of Saturday 
as are unpropitious for canvassing, and other 
unpropitious hours during the week, the can¬ 
vasser will be enabled to utilize his time to the 
best advantage. 

It is never well for a canvasser to encumber 
himself with books for which he has not al¬ 
ready secured orders. Such books may become 
an impediment to him in his movements, are 
likely to become soiled and “shop-worn,” and 
if he is overtaken by discouragement or de¬ 
spondency, the fact that he has a quantity of 
books on hand is likely to augment his dejected 
condition. 

Publishers generally advise canvassers to 
postpone the day of delivery for a consider¬ 
able period so as to enable persons to obtain 
and have the money ready; and also because 
many persons will the more readily assume ob- 


SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION . 


117 


ligations which do not mature for several 
weeks, and further because the canvasser can 
thus order his books all at one time and the 
shipment can be made by freight at a much less 
cost. 

These are all good reasons, but canvassers 
for our books find strong arguments upon the 
other side also. Many people who subscribe for 
our books earnestly desire them, and would 
like to secure them as early as possible. Many 
others also have the money ready and would 
be just as willing to receive the books in a day 
or two. With some, a date far in the future 
causes them to lose their interest in the books 
before the day of delivery. Some canvassers 
find that persons who receive their books 
promptly, read them, become enthusiastic, and 
exert a very helpful influence in the commun¬ 
ity, and thus induce additional subscriptions 
which the canvasser would not otherwise se¬ 
cure. 

There are good reasons for a deferred day of 
delivery, but where it is perfectly convenient 
for canvassers to fill orders promptly, it is us¬ 
ually to their advantage to do so. It is impor¬ 
tant, however, to warn canvassers against the 
disadvantages of loading themselves with books 
before the orders have been secured. Excep¬ 
tions may exist, where the canvasser is not far 
removed from the publisher, where he has es¬ 
tablished himself for a settled canvass of a 
considerable period, and where the canvasser 
has the money at command so that he can af¬ 
ford to have the books on hand for immediate 
delivery. 


118 SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 


When ordering books for a special day of 
delivery always allow sufficient time for the 
books to reach you, as usually there is some 
considerable delay in the handling of freight. 

492. Making the Subscriptions Binding.— 

Where the purchaser subscribes his name in the 
order book it constitutes a contract between 
the canvasser and the subscriber, and deliv¬ 
eries and collections can be enforced by law if 
necessary. While it might never be wise to re¬ 
sort to such measures, yet the mental and 
moral influence of that fact is very persuasive 
with people of unreliable and dishonest ten¬ 
dencies. 

The use of such an order book makes the 
work of delivery more expeditious. Some peo¬ 
ple, however, decline to sign their names to a 
document of any kind that is to be carried 
away by an agent. Swindlers and impostors 
have created this false prejudice against con¬ 
tracts as between honest persons, and the can¬ 
vasser should not allow an inflexible rule to 
prevent him in securing such exceptional sub¬ 
scriptions. In such cases the subscription can 
be entered without the purchaser’s signature to 
the order. 

After securing the subscription, canvassers 
should fill up the guarantee that the books 
shall be like the samples shown and in every 
respect as represented, and leave the same with 
the subscriber as a guarantee against any de¬ 
ception upon the part of the canvasser. It will 
also serve them as a reminder of the number 


SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 


119 


of books they ordered, date of delivery and 
amount to be paid. 

493. Transcribing Subscriptions. —The sub¬ 
scriptions secured each day should be tran¬ 
scribed at night into the canvasser’s private 
record book. If this is regularly done it will 
save from accumulation of work, safeguard 
the canvasser in event of loss of the order 
book, facilitate his work in making out his 
weekly report card; and contribute to his suc¬ 
cess and efficiency in every way. 

The order books are the property of the pub¬ 
lisher, are essential to the perfecting of the 
publisher’s record, and after the books sub¬ 
scribed for have all been delivered, the order 
book is to be returned promptly to the pub¬ 
lisher, with all illegible names carefully and 
legibly rewritten by the canvasser upon the 
back of each subscription. Care should al¬ 
ways be taken to give the street and number 
and name of city, and in the country, the full 
post office address. 

494. Weekly Report Card. —The canvasser 
should remember that it is part of his con¬ 
tract that a full report of his work and the 
results for the week are to be promptly mailed 
each Saturday night to the Yir Publishing 
Company. We furnish cards printed in blank 
for this purpose, together with printed ad¬ 
dressed envelopes for the canvassers’ use and 
convenience, and these reports promptly mailed 
are not only expected, but required. The 


120 SECURING THE SUBSCRIPTION. 


prompt reception of the weekly report cards is 
always accepted as an evidence of a syste¬ 
matic and thorough canvasser, while the fail¬ 
ure to comply with this requirement is al¬ 
ways sure to discredit him. Even if the can¬ 
vasser has worked but one hour, or if he has 
not worked a single moment during the week, 
yet he is under contract for a specified period 
and during those weeks and months he should 
not fail to send in his weekly report. It is 
also highly important that each space should 
be properly filled, as we have asked for noth¬ 
ing which is not essential in the keeping of 
our records complete. 

495. Foreign Translations. —We generally 
have on hand copies of the Swedish, Dutch, and 
German translations, and usually, copies of the 
French, Spanish and other translations. These 
books are all printed in their respective coun¬ 
tries, are furnished to the American publishers 
on only a limited discount, and while we are 
always glad to accommodate the canvasser in 
furnishing him with any of these books pos¬ 
sible in a foreign language, yet we can only 
do so at a small discount, and for a limited 
number of books. The prices and discounts 
vary according to language and book desired, 
and whether the particular book desired is pub¬ 
lished in any certain language can only be 
learned by correspondence. 


OBJECTIONS. 


121 


CHAPTER X. 

OBJECTIONS. 

496. Expect Objections. —Do not expect to 
have entirely smooth sailing in your work. 
There are some people who are so constituted 
that they are bound to present some objections 
or excuses for not buying the books. We want 
to tell you about a few objections that you will 
doubtless hear, so that you may be prepared 
for them. We cannot anticipate all the objec¬ 
tions or all the excuses that will be offered. 
Even if you were to offer some people a book 
for nothing, they would “ begin to make ex¬ 
cuses” for not accepting it. Jesus tells of 
some men who were invited to a feast, and 
“they all with one consent began, to make ex¬ 
cuse. ’ 7 One had married a wife and he 
could not come. Another had bought some 
oxen and he wanted to go and prove them, and 
the third had bought some ground and he 
wanted to go and see it. One would have 
thought that these three men would all have 
joyfully accepted an invitation to a banquet, 
so do not be discouraged if you meet with ex¬ 
cuses and objections in your work on the part 
of some people. They are so constituted that 
they cannot help it. The canvasser w T ill learn 
wdsdom in the work as he goes along, and his 
own judgment and good sense will cause him 
to be ready with an answer. 


122 


OBJECTIONS. 


It does not follow because some people of¬ 
fer excuse and raise objection that you cannot 
sell them copies of the books. They simply 
show their disposition and you must be ready 
to convert them to your way of thinking. 
Keep your head cool and your thoughts and 
feelings under control. Governor Charles E. 
Hughes, of New York, says: “I notice that 
the most successful men are those whose 
minds are always cool, who, no matter how 
swift the movements of their bodies, are able 
to deliberate coolly and to produce calm, sober 
judgment even under disturbing circumstances. 
It is not the man who reaches the corner first 
who wins, but the man who knows exactly 
what he is going to do when he reaches the 
corner .’ 1 

497. Meeting Objections. —When an ob¬ 
jection is made it is oftentimes best wholly to 
ignore it. If, however, it is an objection 
which is seriously made, treat it seriously but 
never stop to argue upon an objection. Make 
a strong statement in rebuttal and then go 
right on with your canvass. If you stop to 
argue you may win your point, but you will 
lose the sale. Hold the mind of your cus¬ 
tomer steadily to the consideration of the im¬ 
portance of the books, proceed step by step 
and lead up to the question of subscription. 
Any other method is likely to result in failure. 

Never, under any circumstances, allow your¬ 
self to lose your poise or become vexed or 
cross. Keep sweet under all circumstances. 


OBJECTIONS. 


123 


The man who loses his temper, loses the order 
also. 

498. They Want It Just the Same.— “The 
experienced book man answers questions be¬ 
fore they are made. His canvass is fashioned 
by the customer and the community. Some 
people are slow in deciding any matter and 
their objection is merely to gain time on their 
part. Right then be patient and keep the vital 
points of the book before them. Others really 
want the book but talk back in order not to 
appear too easy. This attitude may be prompt¬ 
ed by our very apparent anxiety to secure the 
order. An independent attitude on our part 
might close the order here. Other objections 
are just as honest as those we put to a clerk 
before purchasing a suit of clothes. They 
merely indicate that our book is not under¬ 
stood, and that we haven’t yet done ourselves 
or our business justice. They are simply in¬ 
quiries. Perhaps the larger number of ob¬ 
jections are merely cheap excuses indicating 
that no real demand for the book has yet been 
created (nearly all money objections are class¬ 
ed here). We must then get back into the 
book and use our reserve points until they 
will naturally ask us when we deliver. 

“Absolute frankness disarms many oppo¬ 
nents; give each person credit for his opin¬ 
ion and then tactfully place it against that of 
Frances E. Willard, Charles M. Sheldon or 
others; briefly answer an objection then quick¬ 
ly forget all about it and get back to the real 


124 


OBJECTIONS. 


purpose of the book; meet a ‘real stunner ’ 
with: ‘Yes, that’s a good thought; we’ll talk 
about that when I show you a little more 
about the book.’ 

“Too many men apparently make the book 
incidental to the order. They are thinking 
of the forty cents rather than the great life 
principles which the book represents; they be¬ 
lieve they must close the order whether the 
person wants the book or not. Our best so¬ 
licitors are not those who can hypnotise the 
customer, but those who most firmly believe 
in the books, and can convey that belief to 
others. The great question is not simply 
to get the order, but to arouse such an interest 
in the books that the order will be forthcoming 
as a matter of course.”—(K.) 

499. Deciding for Them. —“Some agents are 
turned down upon hearing the first objection, 
■when as a matter of fact most objections are 
made simply for the purpose of learning more 
about the proposition. A little aggressiveness 
on the part of the solicitor will give them the 
desired information. There are others again 
who desire the books and intend to get them, 
but haven’t sufficient confidence in their own 
ability to choose a good thing when they see 
it, hence they continue to hesitate. Now if 
the agent, at this point, has sufficient aggres¬ 
siveness to jump in and decide for them, the 
deal will be closed and one more person will 
be made happy in the thought that he is soon 
going to come into possession of a book that 


OBJECTIONS. 


125 


will make life mean more to him and enable 
him to enjoy it better. Why, there are hun¬ 
dreds of people for whom we must decide, 
of course giving them the credit , which makes 
them feel fine, and all that is required is a 
pleasing personality and a little aggressive¬ 
ness. Instead of criticising the people in your 
field for not appreciating your books to the 
purchasing point, rather criticise yourself for 
not being aggressive enough to make them re¬ 
alize their true value, for as soon as their true 
value is realized an order is immediately 
forthcoming. Be more aggressive, you owe it 
to yourself, to the company, but most of all 
to the people among whom you are working.’’ 
-(K.) 


500. How to Make Ready. —“No one per¬ 
son will make all these objections, but a man 
must be ready for the worst. If he is, he may 
not find it; if he isn’t he w T ill always find it. 
The salesman should write out every objection 
and then write out the answer to it. Every time 
he hears a new objection, which he finds diffi¬ 
cult to answer, just as soon as he gets away he 
should write it out and prepare to meet it 
and fit himself to answer it, so that he will 
never fall down on it again. Every time he 
makes an unusually good point he should make 
a note of it, and use it until it becomes a lit¬ 
tle old, and make it his business to have some 
new idea or suggestion at the close of each 
day, and don’t forget that half the orders are 
lost because a salesman gives up too soon.”— 
(K.) 


126 


OBJECTIONS. 


501. “The Times Are Hard.” —The cry 
of 1 ‘hard times’’ is heard “at all times/’ and 
is therefore the best with which to begin the 
consideration of objections. “Times are too 
hard, I cannot afford to buy books,” will con¬ 
front you everywhere. It is made during the 
most prosperous times, as w r ell as during peri¬ 
ods of financial depression. Persons will con¬ 
front you with this objection before ever you 
have a chance to show them your books, or tell 
them of their merits. It is seldom, however, 
that the objection is made seriously. Often¬ 
times people do not have anything else to say. 
They do not mention it seriously and do not 
expect you to take it seriously. 

Pay no attention to the cry of 11 hard times. ’ ’ 
Open your case, show your books, create the 
desire and you will secure the subscription 
just the same as though such an objection had 
never been heard of. Do not simply talk 
about your books, but show your books. Pre¬ 
sent your cause with such earnestness and 
your books in such a way that the people will 
desire to possess the books. 

1. IGNORING.—Ignore the objection just 
the same as if you had not heard it. 

2. EVADING.—I have here a set of books 
which are perfectly suited to hard times. 
Books of great merit at a low cost, books that 
are worth ten times as much to the reader as 
he pays for them. That people appreciate 
this fact and subscribe for them in large num¬ 
bers you will see from my subscription list. 

3. TREATING LIGHTLY.—Even if times 


OBJECTIONS. 


127 


are hard there are some things that are indis¬ 
pensable. Knowledge is one of these. When 
money is scarce we do not go without food or 
clothing or without knowledge. We simply 
become more judicious in the expenditure of 
our money. We buy the indispensable, and 
that is just the class to which these books be¬ 
long. These books are not a luxury, they are 
a necessity. The Rev. Dr. Thompson, of New 
York, says: “Why were not these books writ¬ 
ten centuries ago?” That is the kind of a 
book that I am going to show you. 

4. TREATING SERIOUSLY.—Benjamin 
Franklin said that “intelligence is better than 
thousands of dollars joined to ignorance.’’ 
Knowledge is power; without knowledge we 
are like the man who sets himself to turn over 
the soil in a 40-aere field with a spade. The 
intelligent man buys a plow and turns over 
more soil in an hour than the man with the 
spade can turn over in a month. It is just 
that kind of intelligence that makes the differ¬ 
ence between hard times and good times. The 
parent who wants his child to be intelligent, 
to start right, to be successful, and the men 
and women who want to save themselves from 
the mistakes which wreck so many others, 
cannot afford to be without these books. It 
is intelligence that makes times easy, and it is 
the lack of intelligence that makes times hard. 

If it is a parent whom you are canvassing 
turn to Chapter Fourteen in “What A Young 
Boy Ought To Know” and say: “This one 
chapter alone which makes the child intelli- 


128 


OBJECTIONS. 


gent upon the necessity of eliminating the 
waste solids and fluids from the body at regu¬ 
lar intervals, is alone worth more than the 
price of the books. Similar statements can 
be made upon various other chapters in this 
book, and each of the other books in the series 
contain chapters to which you easily refer and 
make similar statements that will settle the 
question of “hard times.’’ 

If parents desire their children to be intel¬ 
ligent, prosperous and useful they must see to 
it that means are provided at the proper time 
in life, and not wait until the mistakes which 
blight so many young lives have been made. 
These books are as essential to the happi¬ 
ness and prosperity of their children as food 
and clothing. A father who starves the mind 
of his child is as guilty and as cruel as the 
one who starves their bodies. 

502. Can’t Afford It. —1.—Wholly ignore 
this statement. 

2. EVADING.—Many people tell me they 
can’t afford it until they see the books and 
then they tell me they can’t afford to be with¬ 
out them. 

3. TREATING LIGHTLY.—You say you 
can’t afford it! There are some things 
we can’t afford and there are some things 
which we can’t afford to be without. When a 
man gets sick he doesn’t ask whether he can 
afford to pay the doctor. A parent does nt)t 
ask whether he can afford to send his child to 
school, he cannot afford not to send him to 


OBJECTIONS. 


129 


school. No parent, no young man or woman, 
no husband or wife can afford to be without 
the information contained in these books. 

4. TREATING SERIOUSLY.—You mean 
to say that you cannot afford to do without 
them. Abraham Lincoln, when a boy, used to 
work overtime so that he could buy books 
that contained the information that would help 
him in life. It was the food that he bought 
for his intellect that made a man of him. The 
great mass of people who fail in life fail be¬ 
cause of lack of knowledge. The parent who 
denies his child, or denies himself or herself 
the information which these books contain suf¬ 
fers a great loss in every way. 

503. I Haven’t Time to Read.—1.—Ignore 
the statement. 

2. EVADING.—Everybody finds time to 
do some reading. 

3. TREATING LIGHTLY.—There are very 
few people in this age of intelligence who can¬ 
not read. 

4. TREATING SERIOUSLY.—It surely is 
a great loss to anyone not to have time to 
read, but you have a family to consider and 
their culture and improvement must surely be 
very dear to you; and then if this book were 
within your reach you would also surely find 
time to pick it up and read it. Nobody has 
time to get sick, but when we get sick we 
have to take the time. These books have been 
prepared especially for busy people. They do 
not contain everything that could be said upon 


130 


OBJECTIONS. 


these subjects, but they contain just the very 
things that all people ought to know, “What 
a young man ought to know, ’ ’ “ What a young 
wife ought to know;” it is a regular “what 
you ought to know” series. When you have 
read one of these books you will want to read 
them all. They are the very kind of books 
that you will be sure to find time to read. 

504. We Can Get all the Books We Want 
in the Public Library. —1.—Ignore, but go 
right on with your canvass showing that these 
books are read and reread, and are kept as a 
guide throughout one’s life. 

2. EVADING.—No home is complete with¬ 
out a library of its own. Public libraries are 
all right. So are public dispensaries and pub¬ 
lic soup houses, but every person has books of 
his own. Each person has his own family 
physician, and each family seeks to provide 
its own food. Infection from disease is li¬ 
able to occur from a book which has been in 
some family where they have contagious dis¬ 
eases, the same as infection is often spread in 
a public dispensary or a public soup house. 

3. TREATING SERIOUSLY.—Of course, 
Mrs. Smith, public libraries are all right, but 
these books were written for the home, and 
they deserve a permanent place in every home. 
These books are not like books of fiction, but 
are like books of reference. When you have 
read them you will want them at hand where 
you can refer to them at any time. Napoleon 
said: “Show me a family of readers and I 


OBJECTIOXS. 


131 


will show you the people who move the world . 91 
Solomon said: 1 1 It is better to get wisdom than 
silver or gold.”— (Prov. 16: 16.) 

505. I’ve Got a Doctor Book. —First An¬ 
swer.—If you had all the doctor’s books that 
are published, they would no"- all together 
contain the information which these books 
contain. These books cont lin no prescriptions, 
as the law does not allow a druggist to fill a 
prescription unless given by a physician. These 
books are not about medicines, but about what 
men and women ought to know about them¬ 
selves: not about sick people, but about well 
people. There are no other books that take 
the place of these. 

Second Answer.—This is not a ‘ 1 doctor 
book. ’ 9 Doctors themselves are among our 
best customers. They buy these books for 
their own library, they lend them to their pa¬ 
tients, and many even sell them to their pa¬ 
tients in order that they may have the infor¬ 
mation which these books contain. 

506. We Have Similar Books. —No doubt 
you think you have, Mrs. Smith, but that 
would be impossible, for these are the only 
books of their kind that have ever been writ¬ 
ten in serial form. The book to young boys 
and the book to- young girls tell just what a 
boy or girl ought to know, and what they must 
know if they are to develop the right kind of 
a life, and at the same time it does not tell 
them what they ought not to know. 


132 


OBJECTIONS. 


The books to young men and women tell 
just what each of these need to know at their 
particular period in life. The books to young 
husbands and young wives are for the home¬ 
makers, both young and old, as they enter 
upon this important relation in life. It is the 
same with the books to Men of Forty-Five 
and Women of Forty-Five. They contain the 
information which is essential to persons of 
middle life. It was a wise act in the publish¬ 
ers, was it not, Mrs. Smith, to put up this in¬ 
formation for people of different ages and of 
different sexes in separate volumes? 

507. I Must See My Husband—It is a 

good sign to hear a wife talk that way, and 
there are many things about which a good wife 
ought to consult her husband, but all good hus¬ 
bands recognize the fact that the wife is the 
home-maker, she must largely decide the mat¬ 
ter of food, clothing, furniture and books. It 
is the wife that is the home maker. The father 
is away at his work but the mother is at home 
and when the children come home from school 
they always want mother. When they have a 
question they come to mother. Whatever they 
want they come to mother. Now, Mrs. Smith, 
, I can see that you are a good housekeeper for 
everything about me tells of thoughtfulness 
and care upon your part, and a husband who 
has a wife like that always has pleasure in re¬ 
specting her judgment. He will approve of 
your judgment in this, as he surely must do 
in everything else. 


OBJECTIOXS. 


133 


508. Am Opposed to Buying from Agents. 

—Well, you are different, Mrs. Smith, from 
the merchants of your town. They all buy 
on orders from samples shown by agents. In 
fact they look eagerly for the coming of the 
agent at the appointed seasons of the year. 
It is really the best way of buying, Mrs. 
Smith, because you have an opportunity to talk 
with an agent as to the quality of the goods 
that he sells. Of course, there are some agents 
who sell cotton goods for linen, and shoddy 
for all wool, but with these books it is differ¬ 
ent. The eminent people who commend them, 
as I have just told you speak more eloquently 
than anything I can say, and then I also give 
you a written guarantee that the books I de¬ 
liver will be identical in every respect to the 
sample which I show you. 

509. There Are too Many Book Agents 
About. —Well, there are a great many book 
agents and I am not here to criticise the books 
which they sell, but you cannot class me as a 
book agent for I am engaged in a great cam¬ 
paign which is being extensively waged for 
personal and social purity. My vocation is as 
different from the ordinary book canvasser as 
day is from night. The b^st people in every 
community give me and this movement their 
most hearty support. The books are so impor¬ 
tant that the War Department in the United 
States Government has purchased copies of 
these books and put them into the libraries of 
all our war vessels for the use of both officers 


134 


OBJECTIONS. 


and men. This shows you that the books have 
the information that our rulers want the men 
behind the guns to have, and if there were 
women in the navy the Secretary of War 
would want them to have these books also. The 
eminent people who have endorsed our books 
show that they are different from any other 
books along these lines that were ever pub¬ 
lished, do they not, Mrs. Smith? 

510. A Book Agent Cheated Me Once.—1. 

—TREATING LIGHTLY.—Such men ought 
always to be arrested. They do an honorable 
calling a great injury. A tailor once cheated 
me. I did not on that account stop buying 
clothes, but I simply bought my clothes at an¬ 
other place. If some dishonest merchant 
should sell you a worthless pair of shoes you 
would not go barefooted the rest of your life. 
A sensible person would not do anything of 
that kind. 

2. TREATING SERIOUSLY.—Yes, I am 
not surprised to hear that, Mrs. Smith. There 
are rogues in all professions. To be candid 
with you, even if I were disposed to do so I 
do not see how I could cheat you, because you 
do not pay me in advance for these books, and 
here is a contract guaranteeing by the publish¬ 
ers themselves that the books you order shall 
be just like those I am showing you. When I 
am delivering them, if they should not prove 
to be exactly as I have represented, you can 
decline to receive them. 

511. The Books Are too Small for the Price. 


OBJECTIONS. 


135 


—First Answer.—It isn’t the question of size, 
it’s the question of value. A silver dollar is 
larger than a five-dollar gold piece, but the 
five-dollar gold piece is worth five times as 
much as the silver dollar. The books were 
written by specialists and the information 
which they contain is found in no other books. 
The fact is, Mrs. Smith, these books are cheap 
even when judged by their size. Indeed, when 
compared with the ord’ lary subscription 
books, these books should sell for a dollar and 
a half, or even for two dollars. 

Second Answer.—The contents of these 
books make them far more valuable than ordi¬ 
nary books. The quality of the paper upon 
which they are printed, the excellent character 
of the binding, the pure gold leaf used in 
stamping them, as well as the excellent char¬ 
acter of the type used and the careful print¬ 
ing make these books equal to the very best 
books manufactured in this country, and for 
their size they are even less expensive than 
the most books sold in book stores. Instead 
of being expensive, these books are inexpen¬ 
sive, both as to their character and the quan¬ 
tity of the materials, and the value of their 
contents makes them incomparable with any 
other books offered at $1.00 each. 

These books are worth their weight in gold. 
They are not ordinary books; they have been 
translated into fourteen or fifteen different 
languages, and are circulated in every civilized 
country upon the globe. 


136 


OBJECTIONS. 


512. I Can Buy This Book Sometime in 
the Book Store. —Mrs. Smith, I would be do¬ 
ing you an injustice if I left you under such an 
impression. The people who intend to do 
something sometime in the future are the peo¬ 
ple who never do it. There is only one time to 
do the thing that ought to be done and that is 
to do it right away. If I go out of this house 
without your subscription you will in all prob¬ 
ability never be the owner of one of these 
books. You will never have this information 
which is invaluable—yes, even indispensable 
to every person. No intelligent person can 
afford to be without it. 

There are thousands of people living in 
Buffalo, only a few miles from Niagara Falls 
who have never seen the Falls and never will. 
They mean to see the Falls, but because they 
are only a few miles away they keep putting 
it off and die of old age without ever seeing the 
Falls at all. Other people travel thousands of 
miles to see Niagara Falls, and some come 
from lands across the seas. Mrs. Smith, there 
is only one way you will ever get these books, 
and that is to get them now while you have the 
opportunity. I will take your order and will 
deliver them to you without any trouble what¬ 
ever. These books sell at $1.00 each the world 
around, and people everywhere are buying 
them because they want the books, and at the 
same time many are glad to help young men 
who are canvassing so that they can earn the 
money to pay their way through college in 
their effort to fit themselves for usefulness in 


OBJECTIONS. 


137 


life. I can deliver the book to you right off 
or make delivery at some future time. Which 
would suit you best, Mrs. Smith? 

513. I Don’t Believe in Telling Children 
Such Things. —First Answer.—It isn ’t a 
question of what the parent believes but 
what the child believes in this matter. 
You may think that your children ought 
not to know certain things, but your children 
themselves determine, like all other children, 
that they will find them out, and they will find 
them out; but instead of being told in a pure, 
clean way like these books convey the infor¬ 
mation they learn them in a defiled and ob¬ 
scene way. Your children, if they are old 
enough to go to school already know these 
things, and as their parent it is your duty to 
see that their minds are clarified of the im¬ 
purity which has already been injected into 
their minds by impure children upon the 
streets and at the school. 

Second Answer.—No., certainly, not such 
things as most children know. But don't you 
know, Mrs. Smith, that unless a child is an 
idiot as soon as he is old enough to play 
upon the street or ti go to school? And do 
you not also think, Mrs. Smith, that this in¬ 
formation should come in a pure way from 
the pure lips of the mother? Tell them purely, 
Mrs. Smith, about these subjects and they will 
be held sacred in the memories of your chil¬ 
dren, and in after-life they will bless your 
precious memory for the truths you taught 


138 


OBJECTIONS. 


them. Just read the book yourself, Mrs. 
Smith, and you will want to put it immedi¬ 
ately into the hands of your child. 

The secretary of one of the large trust com¬ 
panies in Philadelphia put a copy of ‘ ‘ Young 
Boy” and “Young Girl” on the reading table 
in his library without saying a word to his 
children about them. That evening his little 
son and daughter entered the room and both 
pounced down upon their respective books and 
were soon buried in their contents. He said 
that after that he noticed a great improvement 
in the conduct and appearance of his boy, 
and that his wife had noticed a corresponding 
improvement in the little girl. (Quote from 
some of the commendations that you have in 
Young Boy and Young Girl book.) 

For a full answer to this objection read the 
“Foreword to Parents” in the opening pages 
of What A Young Boy Ought To Know. The 
canvasser should also thoroughly study the 
pamphlet “Parental Honesty,” should be able 
to use both the facts that that pamphlet con¬ 
tains, and also the pamphlet itself, in showing 
parents their error when they think that their 
children have 11 never thought of these things . 1 ’ 
Use effectively also the quotations from vari¬ 
ous writers found in the closing pages of that 
pamphlet. Leave a copy of this pamphlet 
with “Mrs. Smith” to read and call back in 
a day or two. 

514. I Don’t Want My Children to Know 
Such Things. —First Answer.—In your desire 


OBJECTIONS. 


139 


you are quite right. Let me read you from 
this book (Page 20, Young Girl). “ ‘But,’ 
says one mother, ‘I want to keep my daughter 
innocent as long as I can,’ and I reply, I go 
still further in my desires. I wish to keep 
them innocent always. But ignorance and in¬ 
nocence are not synonymous. Many children 
are deplorably ignorant who are far from in¬ 
nocent, while others may have much more pure 
knowledge and yet be most sweetly innocent. ’ ’ 
Second Answer.—Mrs. Smith, I know what 
you mean. You mean to say that you do not 
want your children to know these things in an 
impure way. Now, there are only three ways 
in which they can learn these things. They 
are bound to learn them in some way. They 
must learn them from their parents in a pure 
way or they must learn them by sad experi¬ 
ence which is a very ruinous way, or they 
must learn them from ignorant associates who 
teach them in an impure way. Now, Mrs. 
Smith, in which way do you want your chil¬ 
dren to learn these things? They surely will 
learn them in some way. Had you better not 
teach them in the right way? Mrs. Stevenson, 
the National Secretary of the Women’s Chris¬ 
tian Temperance Union, says (turn to com¬ 
mendations in Young Girl): “It is a book 
which any mother may safely put into the 
hands of her daughter.” “Pansy,” the au¬ 
thor whose books have been read everywhere, 
says: “What A Young Girl Ought To Know” 
is a book that mothers cannot afford to be 
without.” Mrs. Coolidge says: “It is a book 


140 


OBJECTIONS. 


that mothers and daughters ought to own.” 
Mrs. Diaz says: “Mothers will be thankful 
for so helpful a book. ’ 9 I could read you sim¬ 
ilar quotations from each of the other books, 
from Lady Henry Somerset, Frances E. Wil¬ 
lard, Mrs. Mary Lowe Dickinson, Mrs. Stev¬ 
ens and scores of others. 

515. Children Know Too Much Already.— 

You are perfectly right in that, Mrs. Smith, 
but where do they get their information? 
From their parents in a pure, right way, or 
from older companions upon the streets and 
at school in a manner that defiles the mind 
and degrades the entire being? It is as na¬ 
tural for a child to have curiosity upon these 
subjects as it is for them to breathe. It is 
not only natural, but it is right. Unless a 
child is an idiot, it is sure to ask concerning 
the origin of life. If the parent does not sat¬ 
isfy this desire for information the child will 
secure it elsewhere. But the trouble is that 
the parents do not know how to present this 
matter to the mind of a child in the right way. 
These books are written to tell the parent 
how to do this very thing. You should buy 
the book and read it yourself and then place 
it in the hands of your child. You should al¬ 
ways know what your child knows upon these 
subjects. Thousands of parents everywhere 
have satisfactorily settled these questions in 
the minds of their boys and girls, and all 
have been delighted with the results. If you 
answer these questions in the manner shown 


OBJECTIONS. 


141 


in these books no embarrassing questions will 
arise. Your child will no longer converse 
with other children upon these subjects, and 
where parents take their children into their 
confidence in this way, they find that their 
children will keep these cecrets with their 
parents, just the same as they will otherwise 
keep impure secrets away from their parents. 

It is just as Rev. F. B. Meyer, the great 
London preacher, says here in “What A 
Young Boy Ought To Know” (turning to the 
portraits and commendation in Young Boy): 
“These questions are always being asked, and 
if they are not answered in a pure way they 
will be answered in an impure way.” Mrs. 
Smith, you can rest assured if you do not 
teach your child at home in a pure and right 
way somebody else will teach it in an impure 
and an improper way. It will be taught, that 
is certain. The question is, who shall teach 
it and how shall it be taught. As the parent 
of the child you must decide this question. It 
is too vital, too important for you to make a 
mistake at this point. A dollar is nothing; the 
purity and the safety of yom: child is every¬ 
thing. 

516. I Got Along Without Such Knowledge 
and My Children Can too. —Yes, you got 
along without knowing, but how did you get 
along? What would you not then have given 
to have been relieved of the anxieties and the 
heart-aches? What parent, Mrs. Smith, would 
not give a dollar to save her boy or girl from 


142 


OBJECTIONS. 


just the very experiences which she herself 
suffered ? 

517. I Depend on the School to Educate My 
Children. —I see, Mrs. Smith, that you believe 
in the Public School System. That you be¬ 
lieve in the education of the young. I wish we 
could get some mothers like you on the School 
Boards in the different communities, because 
I believe that we would get the right kind of 
books in their hands to study. But these 
books discuss questions that are not at pres¬ 
ent taught in the schools. They will be some 
day, Mrs. Smith, and I know that after you 
place them in the hands of your children you 
will want their priceless information in the 
hand of every school child in the land. 

Second Reply.—It is a good thing to send 
children to school. No one should neglect to 
do that, but they must have the best books at 
home or they will never become interested in 
reading. Persons who read secure the most 
valuable part of their education by reading 
the best books. A book like this is worth its 
weight in gold to a growing boy or girl for 
several reasons. 1. It tells them what is pre¬ 
eminently important for them to know. 2. It 
not only tells them what they ought to know, 
but what they want to know and what they 
will be sure to find out in an impure way un¬ 
less told in a manner somewhat like it is told 
in this book. 3. It will help them to form a 
taste for the right kind of reading. 4. It will 
teach them to think and a book like this is 
simply invaluable. 


OBJECTIONS. 


143 


518. My Child is Too Young.—As soon as 
the child is old enough to ask questions con¬ 
cerning the origin of life it is old enough to be 
told the truth if the parent knows how to tell 
this truth in a proper way. You do not be¬ 
lieve in telling your children falsehoods, do 
you, Mrs. Smith? But, like all parents you 
are in doubt as to how to deal with this deli¬ 
cate matter. Now, these books tell you how 
to tell your child truthfully, yet in the most 
delicate and purest way, and the information 
will come from the pure lips of the mother in¬ 
stead of the vile companions in the school or 
on the play-ground. You would not have your 
child to get into the habit of telling untruths, 
would you, Mrs. Smith? And don’t you think 
that if you seek to deceive your child that 
your child w T ill be sure to take advantage of 
ycur example and in turn deceive you? The 
fact is that many people believe that their 
children never think along these lines because 
the children never talk to them of these sub¬ 
jects. They deceived their child when it was 
small, and later the child learned the facts 
from other children, and when it has found 
that it has been deceived it never returns to 
its parents with further inquiry upon these 
subjects. The fact that a child does not in¬ 
quire of its parent is an evidence that it has 
already been told by others. I tell you, Mrs. 
Smith, you cannot permanently deceive a 
child. . 


519. My Child is Only a Year Old.—When 


144 


OBJECTIONS. 


a child is only a year or two d, parents of¬ 
tentimes think they do not need this informa¬ 
tion, but the parents of very young children 
are the very ones who should possess them¬ 
selves of this kind of knowledge so that they 
may be ready to answer judiciously and wisely 
when the question arises. One of the ear¬ 
liest inquiries of an intelligent, thoughtful 
child is sure to be concerning the origin of 
life. When the angel of life has come into 
your own home or the home of some neighbor 
the question is sure to rise in the mind of your 
child, and whenever it is asked, it matters not 
how young they may be, it should be dealt 
with honestly and judiciously. It not properly 
answered the first time the question is asked it 
may never be asked again. The parent who 
attempts to deceive, even the youngest child, 
seldom has that opportunity afforded the sec¬ 
ond time. When a discreet, honest answer is 
not forthcoming from the parent the child will 
be sure to seek information elsewhere, and 
often from most questionable and ruinous 
sources. 

520. I Warn My Children of all Dangers.— 

First Answer.—I am glad to hear you say that, 
Mrs. Smith, for mothers of that class are the 
very ones who are most interested in these 
books. They are the very ones who buy 
them for themselves, and use their influence 
with their friends. No one will read these 
books with more appreciation than you will, 
Mrs. Smith. You know how difficult it is to 


OBJECTIONS. 


145 


deal with young people upon these delicate 
subjects. You will appreciate the delicate and 
impressive way in which these subjects are 
handled in these books. When you place them 
in the hands of your children you will find 
that they add “ weight to your warnings and 
wisdom to your counsels .’’ 

Second Answer.—I am glad, Mrs. Smith, 
that you warn your children. You know how 
difficult it is to reform people after they have 
gone wrong. These books are designed to as¬ 
sist the parents to the formation of right char¬ 
acter in the beginning, rather than to reform 
later on. When you have yourself read these 
books, Mrs. Smith, you will see how beauti¬ 
fully they are suited to aid you in this splen¬ 
did work which you are seeking to do with 
your children. 

521. I Do Not Believe in the Circulation of 
this Kind of Books.—The kind of books you 
are thinking about is not the kind of books 
which I am selling. Such books as you have 
in mind could never receive the endorsement 
of intelligent people whose portraits and com¬ 
mendations are found in the front of each of 
these books (pointing out some of the por¬ 
traits and reading some of the commendations 
best suited to the case). These books, in 
Heathen countries alone have been translated 
by six different church missionary societies for 
the use of their missionaries in their work. 
Do you think that the Church Missionary So¬ 
cieties of America and England would trans- 


146 


OBJECTIONS. 


late these books for the heathen, if they were 
the kind of books you are thinking about? 
These books have been endorsed by all of the 
leading religious, educational and secular pa¬ 
pers in the United States and Great Britain. 
They are commended by ministers, physicians, 
lawyers and every class of intelligent people. 

So important do the leading educators re¬ 
gard the contents of these books that their 
authors have been asked to prepare them in 
form for instruction in the public schools. 
If boys and girls are to be saved from the 
vices which come as the result of ignorance, 
they should be taught the contents of these 
two books, ‘ ‘ What A Young Boy Ought To 
Know” and “What A Young Girl Ought To 
Know.” It is absolutely imperative that peo¬ 
ple should know something concerning them¬ 
selves. Socrates said: “Ignorance is vice” 
and it is vice, whether among the young or 
the old. 


522. I Don’t Believe in These Books. —Of 

course you don’t believe in these books, Mrs. 
Smith, because you never read them. One 
of our representatives called upon an intel¬ 
ligent gentleman in Milwaukee who was a 
clergyman and the buyer for a large book¬ 
store. This minister said to our representa¬ 
tive, very curtly, “I don’t believe in your 
books.” The representative said, “Have you 
ever read them?” “No, I have not,” replied 
the clergyman. “Well,” said our representa¬ 
tive, “do you think it fair to condemn a book 


OBJECTIONS. 


147 


you have never read"? Is it not what we Chris¬ 
tians have against infidels who condemned 
the Bible without having ever read it ? ’ ’ It is 
needless to say that this clergyman saw the 
force of the salesman’s argument. He ex¬ 
amined the books themselves, read the endorse¬ 
ments of the people w 7 ho commended them, or¬ 
dered a large quantity of them and has since 
been one of the best friends of these books in 
this country. Now, Mrs. Smith, (turn to the 
commendations rapidly and mention names of 
people who have endorsed the books). If these 
eminent people have read them, believe in 
them and endorse them so heartily, a lady of 
your intelligence cannot fail to do so. Can 
you, Mrs. Smith? 

523. If These Are Such Great Books, and 
Were Written to do Good, Why Are They Not 
Printed in Cheap Form at Ten or Twenty-five 
Cents Each? —There are several good reasons. 
If they were printed in pamphlet form the 
booksellers would not sell them. They only 
handle books in bound form. The newstands 
would not handle them because they do not 
carry this class of literature. Canvassers 
could not be sent out to sell them because 
there would be no money with which to pay 
them. The publishers could not advertise them 
because they would have no money for this 
purpose. Now they sometimes spend as much 
as $10,000 a year in their effort to bring these 
books to the attention of people everywhere. 
If they had been published in pamphlet form, 


148 


OBJECTIONS. 


very few copies would ever have been circu¬ 
lated, while in this form, and with the adver¬ 
tising which has been given them, they have 
already gained a circulation around the en¬ 
tire globe. They have been translated into 
fourteen different languages and people in 
every part of the world praise these books and 
help to circulate them among their friends. 

In addition to this, Mrs. Smith, these books 
have been sold by students with the purpose 
of doing a philanthropic work, and at the same 
time raising money sufficient to pay for their 
education. Many charitable persons, Mrs. 
Smith, like your face shows you to be, even 
purchase copies of these books for poor friends 
who cannot afford to purchase them for them¬ 
selves, and thus help in this great philan¬ 
thropic work. 

524. How Do I Know the Book Will be as 
Represented? —I am not showing you a pros¬ 
pectus, Mrs. Smith. I am showing you a copy 
of the complete book just the same as that 
which will be delivered to you, only that your 
book will be new, and clean and fresh. In 
addition to that, here is a guarantee which I 
give you with my endorsement that the book 
shall be in every respect as represented, and 
if it is not as represented and as shown by 
these samples, you will not be required to take 
it. That is just what it says here in the con¬ 
tract which you can read for yourself. 

525. I May Not Have the Money When 


OBJECTIONS. 


149 


You Make Your Deliveries. —There is no ques¬ 
tion about that with a person so discreet and 
frugal and careful as these surroundings show 
you to be. You would be offended if I should 
suggest that you could not set aside ten times 
that amount long before the time for my de¬ 
livery of these books. A few cents a day 
laid by will make the necessary provision. 

526. I Cannot Order Now, But May Take a 
Copy When You Make Your Delivery. —Well, 
I only order from the publishers sufficient 
books for those who have actually subscribed. 
I shall have no copies to spare. If I order 
more books than I have orders for, I would 
have to pay for them myself. This will be 
your only opportunity to procure these valu¬ 
able books, and you cannot afford to lose this 
opportunity. 

527. Will Not Order a Book To-day, But 
May Take One Later On. —The best things in 
life are usually lost by procrastination. It is 
always dangerous to put off until to-morrow 
what we should do to-day. I have only a lim¬ 
ited time to stay in this place, Mrs. Smith, and 
I am getting the orders now for future de¬ 
livery. Many want their books immediately 
and others in a month or six weeks. I can 
accommodate both. You had better let me 
have your order now while you are in the mood, 
other things will occupy your mind and you 
will be sure to forget the importance of these 
books. You know and appreciate now their 


150 


OBJECTIONS. 


importance, Mrs. Smith, and I will ask you 
just to write your name in my order book, and 
I will give you the attached slip which guar¬ 
antees that the books shall be in all respects 
like the sample I have shown you. 

528. I Can Borrow My Neighbor’s Book.— 

Your neighbors are kind people, I have no 
doubt, but I am sure you would not think of 
going to them to borrow their clock or any 
article that is in almost daily use, would you 
Mrs. Smith? You are too independent for 
that, I am sure. There are many things that 
people do not like to lend, and books is one 
of them. 

529. I Have More Books Now Than I Can 
Bead. — I am glad to hear you say that. Ev¬ 
erybody ought to have more books than they 
can read. We have more air than we can 
breathe, more water than we can drink, more 
food than we can eat and it was intended that 
we should have, and it is just the same with 
regard to books. The man who has only as 
many books as he can read is not properly sup¬ 
plied. 

There is no question abou' your reading these 
books. When you start in to read them you 
will read them from beginning to end. Many 
people become so much interested in these 
books upon the day that I deliver them that 
they do not go to bed at night until they have 
completed one of these volumes. Not only so. 
Scores and hundreds of people read them 


OBJECTIONS. 


151 


over again and again, the publishers frequently 
receive letters from persons who say they 
have read their book five and six times. 

530. The Crops Are a Failure. —In rural 
districts farmers are forever given to grumbl¬ 
ing about the crops. When they have an av¬ 
erage crop they will pronounce it a bad crop, 
or a complete failure. As a quite general 
thing the farmers use this simply as a bluff 
with which to escape from the canvasser. If, 
however, the canvasser is convinced that crops 
in any given section are a complete failure, he 
should remember that this is a big country 
with a varied climate and unlimited resources. 
He should not sit down and starve in the midst 
of such surroundings, but bestir himself and 
find territory where conditions are different. 
Write to us and we will direct you in this 
matter. Crops usually fail only when it is 
too wet or too dry. When it is too wet in the 
lowlands, go to the uplands. If it is too dry 
on the uplands, go to the lowlands. Favorable 
conditions can be found usually within a few 
miles, but be sure never to change the terri¬ 
tory until you are absolutely certain that the 
complaint is not a mere bluff, but founded on 
actual fact. There are some classes of crops 
which require wet weather and there are other 
classes which require dry weather. It is sel¬ 
dom that the weather is such as to make all 
crops equally productive in the same season. 
Unless all the crops are a failure, do not 
seek new territory. 


152 


OBJECTIONS. 


531. Orders for Miscellaneous Books.— 

Persons oftentimes try to side-track the can¬ 
vasser and defeat his purpose by inquiring 
whether he could not purchase for them some 
particular book that they may have read or 
heard of. In the majority of instances this is 
simply a subterfuge. What you need to do, is 
to canvass them so enthusiastically that they 
will desire your books more than any other 
books they have ever read or heard of. You 
are there to sell the books in the Self and 
Sex Series, and not to take orders for any 
other books. 

It is well enough to be considerate and gen¬ 
tlemanly, but remember that to order a book 
which is sold through the trade at a discount 
of from twenty to thirty per cent., and then to 
pay the postage in addition, perhaps for mail¬ 
ing two different times, would give you ab¬ 
solutely no compensation for your trouble, and 
when you came with the book, the person 
might possibly decline to receive it. Take no 
orders for any books except the books in the 
Self and Sex Series. 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


153 


CHAPTER XL 

ORDERING BOOKS. 

532. Carefulness. —Only careful, painstak¬ 
ing persons—thore who know how to look 
after every little detail—those who know how 
to think first and act afterward can expect to 
be successful in any department of life. These 
principles are essential not only while can¬ 
vassing, but also when ordering books. Both 
time and money are saved by carefully reading 
over all the instructions before ordering. The 
extra moments given to a careful study of 
every detail often saves not only days, but 
weeks of delay and consequent annoyance and 
loss. 

533. The Filling of Orders. —As far as pos¬ 
sible, orders are filled and shipped upon the 
day of their receipt. Our supply of books is 
always adequate for the largest demands, but 
as large numbers of orders may be received 
by a single mail, it is sometimes impossible to 
fill all orders upon the date of their receipt.. 
Canvassers should therefore allow a sufficient 
time for such delay in filling orders. Cases, 
or boxes, of proper size must also always be 
made to order, so that the books may be ship¬ 
ped without injury. This requires several 
hours and must be allowed for. 


154 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


534. Order Blanks. —When ordering books 
always use the order blanks furnished by the 
company. We insist upon the use of these 
order blanks in all instances. When properly 
filled they insure correct attention to all or¬ 
ders, assist to avoid all manner of mistakes, 
disappointments and delays. They are a great 
convenience not only for the canvasser, but 
an important safeguard against errors by ship¬ 
ping clerks. They are essential to expedition, 
accuracy, and the keeping of full and correct 
records. Write your name and full shipping 
directions with great distinctness and fill every 
blank space as indicated. 

535. Modes of Shipment. —There are three 
modes of shipment: By mail, by express, and 
by freight. Large shipments can always be 
sent cheapest by freight, but time sufficient 
must be allowed for transportation. Small 
packages can be sent either by mail or ex¬ 
press. The expense is practically the same, 
and one is about as quick as the other. Ex- 
pressage, however, is the safer and often 
times more swift. 

536. Shipping by Mail. —When ordering 
books to be sent by mail always include in 
your remittance eight cents per copy for post¬ 
age. The matter of postage should never be 
omitted. Such an oversight necessitates an¬ 
noyances, involves bookkeeping, necessitates 
making out and mailing bills, requires the en¬ 
tering of small credits, and involves the ex- 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


155 


pense and annoyance of sending subsequent 
receipts. The weight of a package by mail is 
limited to four pounds. The books weigh 
about one pound each. When the order is for 
more than four books they are sent in two 
or more packages, according to the size of the 
order. 

537. Shipping by Express. —Where the or¬ 
der is for two or more books, it is usually 
better to ship by prepaid express, rather than 
by mail. When books are delayed in transit 
in the mails they cannot be traced, and if lost 
the government does not hold itself respon¬ 
sible. When delayed by express they can bo 
readily traced, and if lost the express com¬ 
pany is responsible for the cost of the pack¬ 
age. Packages of four pounds or less can be 
sent by express at much less cost when charges 
are prepaid. If one or two books are sent 
a couple of hundred miles by express with 
charges collect the express company charges 
the recipient 25 cents. If the expressage on 
three or more books is prepaid it can 
be sent even as far as California at a cost of 
but eight cents per copy. This makes a large 
saving for the canvasser. Therefore when re¬ 
mitting and ordering books by express always 
include eight cents per copy in order to secure 
this reduced rate. Where canvassers fail to 
include this amount, the package will be sent 
with the charges to be collected at their end of 
the line. When books in small quantities 
are ordered shipped to points where there is 


156 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


no express office, they will be sent by mail 
unless otherwise instructed in the order. A 
case of one or two hundred books can be sent 
by express a short distance, if the express 
charges are prepaid at a cost of from one-half 
to one or two cents per copy. As the express 
company delivers the package at the place 
to which it is addressed, and thus saves an¬ 
noyance and cost of drayage, for short dis¬ 
tances, shipping by express is frequently 
quicker, more satisfactory and no more ex¬ 
pensive. In such instances, and where money 
has been sent at the rate of eight cents per 
copy, the balance will be returned or credited 
on account, according to circumstances. 

538. C. 0. D. Shipments. —Canvassers fre¬ 
quently order their books sent C. 0. D. (collect 
on delivery) when they simply mean that the 
express charges are to be collected at their 
end of the line. Goods ordered to be sent C. 
0. D. are accompanied by the bill for the 
books contained in the package, the bill and 
package are both presented at the same time, 
and the goods are not delivered until the bill 
is paid. The person who receives these goods 
has not only to pay the express charges on 
the books themselves, but also the cost of the 
express charges for the return of the money to 
the publisher. This is one of the most ex¬ 
pensive ways of ordering books, and canvas¬ 
sers should always avoid it, if possible. 

539. By Freight. —A box containing less 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


157 


than 50 books by freight is liable to be lost 
in transit, and railroad companies gener¬ 
ally decline to receive or handle small pack¬ 
ages. Orders for 50 copies and upward can 
always be sent cheapest by freight. The cost 
usually varies from one-half to one cent per 
book when the distance does not exceed a 
thousand miles. The cost from Philadelphia 
to the Pacific. Coast is about two cents per 
book. 

The length of time required by freight is 
usually about one week to ten days for each 
thousand miles. Sometimes more, sometimes 
less. 

Notices are always sent to the canvasser 
upon the day the goods are shipped, together 
with the bill of lading. This enables the can¬ 
vasser to know when to expect the shipment, 
and the bill of lading identifies the canvasser 
at the freight office and enables him to secure 
the goods without annoyance. 

540. Delayed Shipments. —When shipments 
by freight are delayed more than twelve days 
for each thousand miles of the distance they 
are to travel the canvasser should write or 
telegraph us and we will at once send a tracer 
from our end of the line. This is often an 
advantageous method of discovering goods that 
have been delayed by being sidetracked along 
the way. 

541. Boxing and Drayage. —No charge is 
made by the publishers for boxing and dray- 


158 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


age at this end of the line. The canvasser 
must pay express or freight charges and any 
drayage at his end of the line. There is no 
charge for delivering express packages and 
drayage on freight shipments is always small. 

542. While Waiting.—Always order in am¬ 
ple time. Better to have the books arrive a 
day or two in advance, rather than a day or 
two late. Even fast freight oftentimes moves 
very slowly. After ordering your books do 
not stop work, idle away your time or hang 
around the depot waiting for the books to ar¬ 
rive. Leave a postal card, addressed to your¬ 
self, with the freight agent at the station 
where your books are to arrive, requesting 
him to notify you as soon as they are re¬ 
ceived. Then take up your samples and go 
right on with your canvassing. Call on those 
who were not previously at home. Canvass 
some class of young men, Sunday-school teach¬ 
ers, Bible classes, physicians, teachers, busi¬ 
ness men or others who may have been over¬ 
looked. After the house to house canvass, 
class canvassing oftentimes pays even better. 
The house to house work prepares the way 
and the class canvassing reaps the larger re¬ 
sults. Remember that every day or hour wast¬ 
ed in waiting only eats up the profits on sales 
already made. The canvassers who roll up the 
big totals at the end of each week are those 
who know how to utilize every moment of 
their time. They never waste, they never eat 
up their profits, but constantly roll them up 
by adding to their sales. 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


159 


543. How to Send Money. —It is always 
safest and best to send money by post office 
Money Order, Express Money Order, or bank 
draft. Each of these methods safeguards from 
loss. Money can also be sent by registered 
mail at an extra cost of eight cents in addi¬ 
tion to regular postage. Money enclosed and 
sent in an unregistered letter is at the send¬ 
er’s risk. 

544. Handling Large Order with Small 
Capital. —It is always well for canvassers 
who desire to acquire good methods and cor¬ 
rect business habits to seek to conduct all 
their business transactions without asking for 
eredit or requesting anyone to become their 
li surety.” A canvasser who has secured or¬ 
ders for 400 or 500 books and who can com¬ 
mand only about $45 m money can always 
manage as follows: Make up a list of 75 books 
first needed for delivery, accompanying the 
order with your remittance for $45. Upon 
receipt of the same we will at once send for¬ 
ward Box No. X. With this first order also 
imlude a second order for 100 books to be sent 
later C. O. D- in Box No. 2. This second box 
will be shipped speedily after the shipment of 
the first box. 

Upon the arrival of Box No. 1 delivery can 
be made and the money will then be in hand 
to pay for Box No. 2. With the money al¬ 
ready received you can go to the bank or ex¬ 
press office and pay the draft which we will 
draw on you for the cost of Box No. 2 through 


160 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


the bank or express company in harmony with 
a notice which we will mail to you at the time 
of sending forward the second shipment. If 
the shipment is by freight then the box is 
sent via whatever railroad is most convenient, 
or is preferred by the canvasser, and which he 
should always be sure to indicate if he has 
any preference. The box is shipped addressed 
to the publishers themselves, while the bill of 
lading is sent forward through a bank or ex¬ 
press company, addressed to the canvasser. 
Attached to this bill of lading is a bill, with a 
draft on the canvasser for the amount due. 
When this draft is paid the express company 
or bank will deliver to the canvasser the bill 
of lading which has already been endorsed by 
the publisher instructing the railroad com¬ 
pany to deliver the box to the canvasser nam¬ 
ed and upon the presentation of this, together 
with the payment of the freight charges, the 
freight agent will deliver the shipment or any 
part thereof to the canvasser. 

By the time you have delivered the con¬ 
tents of Box No. 2, Box No. 3 will then have 
arrived C. 0. D. and you will be able to make 
prompt payment for this in the same manner 
as just described. After that you will be able 
to remit with your orders, or to pay promptly 
C. 0. D. upon the receipt of the various sub¬ 
sequent boxes. This principle can be applied 
in handling either large or small quantities of 
books. To save time the first shipment may 
be made by express at a higher cost for car¬ 
riage charges. 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


161 


The sending forward of a draft and bill of 
lading through a bank is attended with only 
trifling expense, and oftentimes no expense at 
all, but it occasions a day or two more of 
delay in the transmitting of both the draft and 
the return of the money. The sending of the bill 
of lading and draft through the express com¬ 
pany involves the cost of expressage to the 
canvasser and another charge for the return of 
the money from the canvasser to the publisher, 
both of which are at the cost of the canvasser. 

545. Ordering Books Without Money.— 

Where an agent is not prepared to remit the 
money with his order for the books, we can 
arrange for his accommodation in the follow¬ 
ing manner: If the canvasser assures us when 
sending his order that the books have actually 
been sold we are willing to ship the books by 
freight or express, packing them in assorted 
lots as desired in boxes containing 100 copies 
each, more or less as requested. 

If shipped by express they are sent C. O. D. 
but with instructions to the express agent to 
allow the canvasser upon payment of each 
separate bill, to take a single box at a time. 

When the shipment is by freight we mark 
them to any freight station desired and in¬ 
dicated by the canvasser, sending them ad¬ 
dressed to the Yir Publishing Company. 

We number each box with corresponding bill 
of lading, and send these original bills of lad¬ 
ing through a bank or express company, at the 
same time instructing the bank or express 


1G2 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


agent that upon the payment of each succu,-/- 
sive draft, each successive bill of lading is 
to be delivered by him to the canvasser. On 
the back of each of these original bills of 
lading there is an order instructing the freight 
agent to deliver, upon the payment of the 
freight charges, one corresponding box to the 
canvasser. This enables the canvasser to ob¬ 
tain the books from the freight office in easy 
instalments, and after delivering 100 or 200 
b oks the canvasser will be able to lift all the 
remaining bills of lading, if he so desires, and 
thus secure all the remaining cases of books 
at one time. This method is in constant use 
by publishers everywhere, and proven satis¬ 
factory to both parties. When short of money 
it is not difficult for a canvasser, even among 
strangers, to secure from some kind person 
with whom he has become acquainted, a loan 
sufficient to pay the amount of the bill when it 
arrives. He should always be both able and 
willing to show the party who is to make the 
loan that he has already sold the books and 
simply needs the accommodation for a few 
days until he can deliver the books and re¬ 
turn the money. Canvassers should never 
abuse such a kindness, but should always make 
due recognition of his appreciation, should 
never fail to keep his obligations and if pos¬ 
sible he should reply the money in advance of 
the date fixed. If the amount is considerable, 
he should pay it in instalments, and thus 
guard against the possible loss of the money 
by accident, by having his pocket picked, or 
in any other manner. 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


1G3 


546. Consignments to Another. —Where a 
canvasser has secured a goodly list of subscrib¬ 
ers, but is without the money necessary to pay 
for his books at the time of ordering, he can 
generally arrange to secure his books in the 
following manner: Go to some responsible busi¬ 
ness man, show him your subscription list, ex¬ 
plain your situation and request him to loan 
you the money so that you can remit with your 
order, or secure his promise to pay the draft 
at the bank when it arrives with the bill of 
lading. In the latter instance the case would 
be shipped addressed to the Yir Publishing 
Company, the bill of lading would be endorsed 
by us, instructing the freight agent to deliver 
the books to the person who had made pay¬ 
ment of the same, and whose name should al¬ 
ways he furnished to us at the time of send¬ 
ing forward the order. After these books have 
been delivered to him he will consent to your 
taking five, ten or twenty books and delivering 
them, and when you return for more paying 
over to him the full amount of $1.00 per copy 
for the books which you have already taken, 
and thus continue to pay over the full amount 
you have collected until he has been fully re¬ 
imbursed, when you could remove the entire 
balance of books on hand to your own board¬ 
ing place if you so desired. This is a simple 
and satisfactory method. It occasions no risk 
whatever, and if the canvasser is thoughtful 
and considerate, as he ought always to be, 
will not even be the occasion of 11 annoyance 3 3 
to the person who befriends him. 


164 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


In all instances the canvasser should give 
the name and location of the bank through 
which he desires the draft sent. 

547. The Cash System. —All subscription- 
book houses are conducted upon a cash basis. 
Their commissions to canvassers are larger 
than those regularly allowed on any other line 
of goods. Their own margins are consequently 
smaller, and it would be impossible for them 
to give credit to hundreds of strangers scat¬ 
tered over thousands of miles of country. We 
have not the slightest hesitation in saying, that 
the great mass of young men and women, and 
of older men and women engaged in the sale 
of the books in the Self and Sex Series are all 
people of exceptional purpose, honor and in¬ 
tegrity, but nearly all are without business 
training. They are very generally unacquaint¬ 
ed with the requirements of business men, and 
without intending to do so, their methods often 
occasion the publisher annoyance, inconveni¬ 
ence and serious financial loss. 

Every young person when starting out in life 
should resolve, as far as possible to be inde¬ 
pendent of the financial aid of others, and also 
to learn to do business on correct business prin- 
, ciples. The cash method of doing business is 
the only correct principle, and other methods 
are only approximately correct in proportion 
as they approach the cash basis. The system 
among large business houses of 11 cash in 3D 
days” is for the convenience of the purchaser, 
so as to enable him to receive his goods and 


ORDERING BOO KB. 


105 


check up the bills before making payment. 
All responsible business houses pay their bills 
with the regularity and promptness of clock¬ 
work, and there is no delay, annoyance or in¬ 
convenience when dealing with responsible 
business houses. They know what correct 
business methods are, and they conform to 
them rigidly. 

When dealing with persons unacquainted 
with correct business methods, the experience 
is very different. Many regard their obliga¬ 
tions but lightly. When the books are deliv¬ 
ered and the money collected they use not only 
the amount of their commissions, but the por¬ 
tion which belongs to the publisher and which 
is held by them as trust funds, and the use 
of which in the eyes of the law is a peniten¬ 
tiary offense; they neglect to remit upon the 
date when promised, making it necessary to 
send frequent bills, and above all, often sub¬ 
ject the publisher to the humiliation and an¬ 
noyance of sending dunning letters and also 
even of notifying their Surety. 

The instruction which we give our canvas¬ 
sers in our school of success and achievement 
includes also the teaching of correct business 
methods, and we advise every canvasser, as 
far as possible, not only to send cash with his 
orders, but as far as possible to avoid borrow¬ 
ing or asking any financial favors whatso¬ 
ever from other persons. 

Each canvasser should seek, not only in his 
relation with the publisher, but in his rela¬ 
tions to every one else, to conduct all business 


106 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


and all of his personal relations with fidelity, 
integrity and honor. What you do will not 
only affect your own character, but also the 
confidence of others in the integrity of all with 
whom they have dealings. The dishonorable 
and dishonest always make it more difficult 
for the honest and the upright. 

548. Our Credit Plan. —For the conveni¬ 
ence of canvassers who have but limited re¬ 
sources and who do not find any of the plans 
which we have already outlined in this chapter 
suited to their needs, we have a method of 
granting credit to those who file with us a 
“Surety Blank” properly filled, signed and 
sworn to by some persons of good financial 
standing. A simple “letter of recommenda¬ 
tion” or “references” will not answer, for 
the canvasser in each particular instance might 
reasonably be assumed to be honest and re¬ 
liable, but persons sometimes become sick, or 
some unexpected misfortune overtakes them, 
and to cover these and all other contingencies 
we require satisfactory security for books 
which are shipped to the canvasser with per¬ 
mission to deliver and then remit promptly to 
us the amount of our bill. Any canvasser 
worthy of credit will have no difficulty in get¬ 
ting such a surety blank properly signed by 
some person at his home, where he is well- 
known. Where persons cannot secure such 
endorsement from people who know them per¬ 
sonally and intimately, they can not reason¬ 
ably ask credit from a publisher who is en- 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


1G7 


tirely unacquainted with them. In all in¬ 
stances, if it is necessary to ask favors or bor¬ 
row money, it is usually best to do so at your 
own home and from those who know your 
character, rather than from strangers at a long 
distance who do not know you personally. 

549. Form of Surety.—The verbal form of 
our surety is as follows: 

Register No. Surety Blank. The Vir 

Publishing Company, 1304 Land Title Build¬ 
ing, Philadelphia, Pa. This is to certify that 
of State of is personally 

knowrn to me, and I can recommend him to you 
as straightforward, honest and worthy of your 
confidence. I hereby agree to be responsible 
to you at Philadelphia, Pa., or any other place 
designated by you, for the payment of all bills 
of goods ordered by him, within thirty days 
from date of shipment, or later at your op¬ 
tion. 

I hereby represent that I am a citizen of 
State of by occupation a 
of sufficient age and competency for the pur¬ 
pose herein expressed, and that I own real 
estate in the county of State of to 

the value of at least $1,000.00 over and above 
all debts, encumbrances and exemptions. 

Signed this day of 190 . 

Name P. O. address county of 
State of 


108 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


State of county of ss. 

Before me this day of 190 , ap¬ 
peared who acknowledged that he exe¬ 

cuted the foregoing instrument for the pur¬ 
pose therein described. Signed Notary 

Public. 

N. B. This surety cannot be accepted unless 
acknowledged before a Notary or Justice of the 
Peace. 

This form of surety does not bind the party 
who signs it except in case of the failure or re¬ 
fusal of the agent to pay his bills according to 
his agreement with us. It is therefore a prac¬ 
tical guarantee to us that the agent stands 
well in his own neighborhood where he is per¬ 
sonally known and that he is deserving of 
credit. No business house could afford to do 
business with strangers on any less security 
than this. The canvasser should, however, 
recognize the fact that where this surety is 
properly filled, and it cannot be accepted un¬ 
less it is, it thoroughly binds the narty to the 
payment of the canvasser’s financial obliga¬ 
tion in event of his failure or refusal to do so, 
and his surety cannot seek to escape the ob¬ 
ligation without incurring the penalty which 
attaches to the obtaining of goods under false 
pretence. 

Where the canvassers are faithful in remit¬ 
ting to us promptly the money collected on 
books delivered, everything will move along 
smoothly, but where canvassers fail to do this, 
after a reasonable period the surety must be 
notified that we look to him for the payment 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


169 


of the bill. Such a course ought not and need 
not ever occur, and any canvasser who makes 
such a course necessary has no one but him¬ 
self to blame. 

Where canvassers intend to use the surety 
methods, the surety blank should always be 
placed upon file with the publisher at least ten 
days or two weeks in advance of the time 
when the canvasser intends to place his first 
order. This is necessary to enable the pub¬ 
lisher to investigate the responsibility of the 
surety. 

550. Length of Credit. —The special atten¬ 
tion of the canvasser is called to the fact that 
credit is allowed on each bill only for a suf¬ 
ficient time for him to deliver the books to 
his subscribers after he has received them. 
The fact that his surety is filed with us does 
not entitle him to a longer period of credit 
than one week from the receipt of the goods. 

The attention of the canvasser is also called 
to the item in his contract that the amount of 
money due the publisher on each book is not to 
be used by the canvasser, but is to be held by 
him as trust funds to be paid over to the Yir 
Publishing Company without delay. 

551. Credit and Failure. —An unpaid bill 
always stands in the way of an agent’s suc¬ 
cess. The mental and moral effects of an ov¬ 
erdue account always tend to defeat the can¬ 
vasser in his work, and usually result in his 
dropping the work altogether. There is no 


170 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


surer way of ruining the agent’s work and of 
driving him wholly out of canvassing than by 
giving him credit longer than is necessary 
simply to deliver his books. It is the universal 
experience of subscription book publishers that 
the effect of an unpaid bill upon the mind of 
a canvasser always results in discouragement, 
dissatisfaction, and in the large majority of 
cases, causes them to quit the work altogether. 

This mental effect is aptly illustrated by the 
experience of a successful merchant in a small 
town in the State of New York. He was ac¬ 
customed to give credit to many responsible 
residents of that section, but as soon as any 
person neglected to pay his bill when due, the 
merchant lost no time in suing him. One day 
the constable, who served these legal papers, 
said to the merchant, “You sue more peo¬ 
ple than all the rest of the merchants in town 
put together. You will make enemies of all 
these people and after while be left without 
any customers.” The merchant replied, “You 
do not understand human nature. As soon as 
a person owes a bill which he should have 
paid he universally avoids the person to whom 
he is indebted. So long as these people owe 
me they will come to town, walk past my store 
and go into the stores of my competitors and 
spend their good money. I sue them, they are 
angry for a little time, but soon return. I 
treat them as though nothing had happened, 
and then they become my personal friends 
and my regular customers for the remainder 
of their lives.” 


ORDERING BOOKS. 


171 


This same rule holds true in all depart¬ 
ments of business activity, canvassers includ¬ 


ed. 


172 


DELIVERING. 


CHAPTER XII. 

DELIVERING. 

552. Different from Canvassing.—The art 

of canvassing is one thing, the art of deliver¬ 
ing is another. Any person who can canvass 
successfully and secure orders ought to be 
able to deliver the goods, for if the work of 
canvassing has been thoroughly and properly 
done the work of delivering will almost uni¬ 
versally take care of itself. 

553. Successful Delivering. —Judging from 
the testimony of canvassers who have had ex¬ 
perience with other books and various ar¬ 
ticles we feel perfectly safe in saying that the 
canvassers for the Self and Sex Series ex¬ 
perience less difficulty in delivering these 
books than any other canvassers. Quotations 
from a few letters will demonstrate this point. 

“The ‘Self and Sex Series* come the most 
nearly selling themselves of any books that I 
have ever handled, and I have sold over $6,000 
worth of subscription books. In delivering I 
had no trouble in disposing of more than I 
had orders for, which was not true with any 
other book.”—Oscar Woods. 

“In four weeks I sold five hundred books, 
lacking only a few copies. I usually averaged 
twenty books a day, and one day sold twenty- 


DELIVERING. 


173 


nine. My subscribers all realized the value of 
the books, were anxious to receive them, and 
I delivered a hundred or more books a day. 
Instead of being unpleasant, the work of de¬ 
livering was one of the pleasantest parts of 
my work.”—C. Homer Scovell. 

“The really enjoyable side of the work 
with the books in the Self and Sex Series is 
the actual handing out of the books to the 
customer, for upon doing this one feels at first 
hand the great good he is doing.”—S. A. 
Reeser. 

“I delivered my books in Fenton, Wednes¬ 
day. Lost no orders, sold three extra and 
hired a school teacher who was inspired by 
the work.”—W. R. Stephens. 

“Last Wednesday I delivered 50 books and 
took orders for 16 more while delivering.”— 
G. S. Nason. 

“Since writing you I went to Cottage Grove 
and Saginaw to fill the 97 orders taken in one 
week. Seven failed, but I sold six new ones, 
and to-day received an order for six more, 
making 102 in one week. That is not bad.”— 
J. J. Handsaker. 

“Beside the 92 orders taken in 30 hours last 
week I have delivered and collected for 100 
books previously sold, and not a cancellation. 
It is the greatest pleasure to deliver; the books 
please so well and the collections are so uni¬ 
versally good.”—H. E. Merritt. 

“The last eleven days of my canvass I took 
orders for 150 books, everyone of which I de¬ 
livered.”—Earl B. Day. 


174 


DELIVERING. 


“I delivered 135 books yesterday and did 
not lose one order.”—E. L. Wertheim. 

The reason probably why persons experi¬ 
enced in the sale and delivery of the books in 
the Self and Sex Series meet with no difficulty 
whatever is, not only because the books are of 
exceptional merit, but also because experienced 
canvassers know how to avoid conditions which 
would cause others inconvenience. To ac¬ 
quaint the inexperienced with these principles 
it is important to discuss the whole subject 
and point out such difficulties as may occa¬ 
sionally arise. As a rule you will find the 
people honorable, and always ready to receive 
and pay for their books as agreed, and with¬ 
out complaint, for subscribers are almost al¬ 
ways glad to get them. 

554. Mental Attitude. —As in canvassing 
there is a psychological moment best suited to 
the closing of an order, so in delivering there 
is a psychological or mental attitude upon the 
part of the canvasser best suited to secure the 
prompt, successful and satisfactory delivery 
of the books for which he has taken the or¬ 
ders. When closing the order, the mental at¬ 
titude of the customer determines the psycho¬ 
logical moment. When delivering, the mental 
attitude of the canvasser determines the re¬ 
sult. 

Approach the house not only hopefully, but 
confidently and even positively. Let there be 
no shadow of d©ubt in your own mind. Your 
mental attitude is all important. If your cus- 


DELIVERING. 


175 


tomer manifests hesitation or uncertainty let 
it be a surprise to you, and let your customer 
discover your surprise upon your face rather 
than in your words. Even where hesitation is 
expressed there is not one place in ten where 
the delivery cannot be successfully made with¬ 
out the slightest inconvenience or delay. 

555. Personal Bearing. —Approach the 
house in a brisk, business-like manner. Let 
the step be firm and quick. Remember, how¬ 
ever, that your mental attitude will be mani¬ 
fest in every movement of your body, in your 
looks, in your voice and will also largely de¬ 
termine the result of your visit upon the mind 
of your customer. 

When canvassing, you must use as much 
time as is necessary in order to impress your 
customer with the importance and value of 
the books in order to secure the subscription. 
When you are delivering, expedition is the 
rule. Use no more time than is absolutely 
necessary to deliver the books, to secure your 
money, obtain any additional subscriptions, 
to say such impressive things concerning the 
books as will interest the customer in read¬ 
ing them as early as possible, and also to so¬ 
licit their commendation of the books to their 
friends. Seek to make your subscribers co¬ 
workers in extending the circulation of the 
books and the influence of the teachings which 
they contain. 

As soon as you enter the house let your cus¬ 
tomer immediately feel that you are in a hurry. 


176 


DELIVERING. 


Under no ordinary circumstances ever sit 
down. Upon entering, if asked to take a seat, 
reply, “ Thank you, but this is a very busy 
day. I have a large number of books to de¬ 
liver. My customers are waiting and it will 
keep me very busy to accomplish what I have 
to do.” If the person should insist upon your 
being seated while they go to get the money, 
even under such circumstances it is ordinarily 
best to remain standing. If you sit down you 
dissipate the idea of hurrying both in the mind 
of your customer and in your own mind. Wbat 
you want is to complete the delivery and as I 
have just said, have the person prize their pur¬ 
chase, secure additional orders if you can for 
a subsequent delivery, and enlist the subscrib¬ 
er’s co-operation in interesting her friends 
so that you may secure a subscription from 
them also. 

Where a customer seeks to evade accept¬ 
ance of the book, manifest your surprise, but 
remain in the most gracious mental attitude. 
Never for one moment relax your sense of 
certainty, or your positive conviction in their 
acceptance of the order. Tell them that you 
ordered the book in good faith upon their per¬ 
sonal order, that you have been at the trouble 
and expense of ordering the book and every 
subscriber is expected to take the book w 7 hich 
he has ordered. 

556. The Two Levels. —If a person should 
be overbearing and irritating in his or her 
manner, never for one moment lose your com- 


DELIVERING. 


177 


posure or descend to their level. Recognize 
the fact that as between you and the cus¬ 
tomer, they occupy one level, and you occupy 
another. If you descend to their level you 
are descending to a battle ground. Upon this 
fighting level unreason must be met by un¬ 
reason; hasty speech by hasty speech; irritat¬ 
ing remarks by counter irritating remarks; 
anger upon the part of the customer by an¬ 
ger upon the part of the canvasser. Just as 
sure as the canvasser descends to this level, 
which is the only level that a customer who de¬ 
clines to accept the books can logically oc- 
cupy, just so surely is the canvasser likely to 
meet not only with such irritation as will unfit 
him for his subsequent deliveries in neighbor¬ 
ing houses, but with defeat in the delivery of 
the book to the customer with whom he con¬ 
tends. Maintain your composure, your digni¬ 
ty, your sense of justice and equity. Rest 
upon your rights under the contract which 
these people have made with you. Compel 
them to meet you on your level and your suc¬ 
cess is assured. If they come up to your level 
your victory is won. If you descend to their 
level your defeat is assured. The principles 
which underlie this paragraph are worthy of 
the elaboration of an entire chapter. Let them 
be deeply impressed upon the canvasser’s 
mind. 

557. Insistent Cases. —There are instances 
when the canvasser is fully justified in being 
somewhat insistent. When the subscriber be¬ 
ll 


178 


DELIVERING. 


gins to excuse herself or to beg for further 
time the canvasser is justified in saying, “I 
am sorry, Mrs. Smith, if I inconvenience you 
in this matter, but you will remember that you 
assured me when you subscribed that this 
would be a convenient time for you to receive 
the book, and I have made my arrangements 
accordingly, relying upon what you said at 
that time.” 

Sometimes where they seek to evade or 
beg off it is well to cut them short by saying, 
“You gave me, Mrs. Smith, your order, and 
presuming that you are a person of your word, 
I ordered the book for you from my publisher, 
and you would not surely desire me to stand 
the loss.” 

Where parties do not have the money the 
first time you call and they name some subse¬ 
quent hour or day, request them to leave the 
money with some member of the family if 
they themselves should be absent at the time 
you call, so that you may not lose further 
time. 

558. Legally Bound.—In rare instances 
where the customer is unreasonable, unfair and 
unjust, it may be wise in a judicious manner 
to remind them that they are bound not only 
morally, but legally by the contract which 
they have signed, the same as by any other 
contract. Such a suggestion usually has its 
salutary effect. 

559. Where the Money Is not in Hand.— 


DELIVERING. 


179 


In some instances where objections are made 
to the reception of the book, it is due to the 
fact that the people actually do not have the 
money in hand with which to make payment. 
They are not likely to meet you frankly in the 
beginning and state this fact, but you discover 
this to be the fact in a moment or two. This 
difficulty can often be overcome by suggesting 
that they borrow it from their neighbor. In 
many instances they will accept this sugges¬ 
tion and act upon it. In other instances, 
where the statement has not been truthfully 
made, they will go to the tea-cup in the pan¬ 
try or to the bureau in their bed-room and get 
the money and pay you. If, however, the sub¬ 
scriber is thoroughly honest, the money is not 
at hand and they cannot borrow, then the 
next best thing for you to do is to ask them to 
suggest a date when they can pay for the books. 
The date of the next pay-day will usually be 
convenient, or it may be made to fit into the 
date of your next delivery. It is always well, 
however, to raise the question what date will 
suit them, so that they may not have reason 
for excuse when you call again. Never leave 
the book until you have the money. 

560. Dates of Delivery. —When making the 
canvass it is not always wise to intimate that 
you have three or four dates for delivery. It 
is usually best to name but one, and then not 
to name a second date until you find that the 
first date would be unsatisfactory. If in your 
first canvass you name several dates, then 


180 


DELIVERING. 


when you come to deliver, persons are likely to 
decline to accept their books when first of¬ 
fered, at the same time suggesting that you 
should call when you make some later de¬ 
livery. If they do not know that you have 
other dates of delivery in the same city or in 
the same neighborhood, it will not occur to 
them to defer the date of delivery. Sometimes 
it may even be well to suggest that the book 
may be left with a friend who should pay for 
it with the privilege of reading it, and they 
pay the friend later and then take the book 
themselves. 

It is a good point to get the consent of your 
subscriber to the time of delivery. Say to 
her, “Mrs. Smith, I want to deliver your book 
about -. Will that suit your conveni¬ 

ence ?” She will nearly always say, “Yes.” 
Then when you come to deliver if an attempt 
is made to defer the delivery you can remind 
her of her promise. You can say, “Why, 
Mrs. Smith, you told me when I took your or¬ 
der that it would be convenient for you, and 
of course I depended on what you said.” This 
will place her upon her honor and help you 
in making the delivery. 

561. About Definite Dates. —When fixing a 
date for delivery it is not wise to name a de¬ 
finite day. It is always well to say “about” 
such a date. If you name a definite day and 
fail to deliver upon that day, they may take 
advantage of the fact that you did not come 
just the day and hour specified. You can say 



DELIVERING. 


181 


that you expect to deliver the books about the 
first of May, or the middle of June, or about 
the first of July; that you will have a large 
number of books to deliver and cannot name 
any exact date. 

It is well to be cautious against naming the 
last of a certain month. The delay of a day or 
two in the receipt of your books might throw 
the whole delivery into the following month. 
This is liable to create the idea in the mind 
of your subscriber that you are an entire 
month late, that you are not coming at all, and 
they will therefore use the money and conse¬ 
quently be unprepared for you when you come. 
Therefore the first of a month is better than 
the last few days of a month. 

562. Do a Strictly Cash Business. —Never 
deliver books without securing payment at the 
time. If the people do not have the money 
do not leave the book. Never leave the book 
and accept a promise of payment at some fu¬ 
ture date. Retain the book, deliver it upon that 
date, and get your money. Never accept prom¬ 
issory notes; they will occasion you annoyance, 
loss of time and usually loss of money also. It 
is easier to go out and do new canvassing, for 
it takes less time to sell a book to a new cus¬ 
tomer, than it does to collect for an unpaid 
book from an old customer. 

Never deposit books anywhere to be called 
for either with or without appointment. Few 
subscribers would ever call, no matter how 
good their present intentions, or how strong 


182 


DELIVERING. 


their assurances that they will do so. As far 
as possible always do your own delivering. 
No one can deliver as successfully as the per¬ 
son who did the canvassing and took the or¬ 
der. 

563. Postal Card Notices.—Some canvas¬ 
sers prefer to send a postal card notice to the 
subscribers apprising them that the books have 
been received, and when they expect to make 
the delivery. Other canvassers prefer to send 
no postal card notices. The postal card method 
has both its advantages and disadvantages. 
Where the subscriber is honest a notice that 
the canvasser is likely to come with their 
book will oftentimes cause them to remain at 
home when otherwise they might be absent; 
will enable them to have the exact change 
ready and receive the book without delay to 
the canvasser. Dishonest persons may take 
advantage of the notice, and either be absent 
from home or pretend to be, or if they are at 
home and do not desire to receive the book, 
then to prepare themselves in advance with 
such objection as they think will be effective 
in defeating the canvasser. 

Where postal card notices are used both 
the name of the book and the price to be paid 
should be carefully omitted. The first might 
not be agreeable to the subscriber, and the 
second might be construed as an offense against 
the laws with regard to sending bills and no¬ 
tices of indebtedness upon postal cards. The 
following form might be suggested as prac¬ 
tical : 


DELIVERING. 


183 


Greeting: I have received from the publish¬ 
ers the book which you ordered from me some 
time ago. I expect to deliver the same to 
you to-morrow or the day following. When 
delivering I am always very much hurried 
and I always greatly appreciate where the 
subscriber can have the exact change when I 
call, so as to avoid any delay, as I shall have 
a large number of books to deliver on that 
day. 

Yours respectfully, 

Copies of this or a similar mailing card, not 
stamped, suitably printed and necessary only 
to be signed by the canvasser can be secured 
from the publisher at a cost of 25 cents a 
hundred post free, the remittance for the 
cards always to accompany the order from the 
canvasser. 

564. Time Required to Deliver. —The can¬ 
vasser should remember that after all he is a 
canvasser, and that the matter of delivering 
books is only incidental to that work. He 
should therefore always seek to arrange for 
his deliveries in such a way that they will re¬ 
quire the least possible amount of time. If 
he can use the odds and ends of time, so much 
the better. Where an entire day is devoted 
to the work the canvasser should readily de¬ 
liver one hundred books, or even many more. 
A canvasser should always remember that 
many additional orders can be secured from 
persons to whom he is delivering books. Names 
can be secured of the personal friends of 


184 


DELIVERING. 


purchasers and others, to whom books can be 
sold. A wise and wide-awake canvasser can 
frequently sell as many books when devoting 
an entire day to delivering, as if he were de¬ 
voting an entire day to canvassing. He can 
not only glean, but reap large results when 
delivering. 

565. Lay Out Your Work Before Beginning. 

—A canvasser should always carefully study 
a city, village or country district and so ar¬ 
range all of his routes that he need not lose 
time by doubling his tracks. This is especially 
important when one is delivering and the man 
who neglects to do it loses much valuable time. 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


185 


CHAPTER XIII. 

IMPORTANT GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 

566. Physical Culture. —After a thorough 
understanding of the books themselves and 
complete mastery of all the instructions, noth¬ 
ing else is more important to the success of 
the canvasser than the matter of physical cul¬ 
ture. The work of canvassing makes large 
demands upon the physical resources and 
nervous energies and no man can accomplish 
the largest results without careful attention to 
the keeping of the physical powers up to their 
very best. What is said in Chapter IY upon 
physical preparation, and the aid which is 
brought to the canvasser in the supplement in 
this book on physical culture, needs to be 
carefully and thoroughly studied and applied. 
In no other way can the highest degree of ef¬ 
ficiency as a canvasser be secured. 

567. Conscientious Work. —If you were a 
farm hand or a merchant you would work from 
ten to twelve hours a day, if a mechanic from 
eight to ten hours, and you would not stop for 
rainy days or because of indisposition, and 
why should you not devote yourself as con¬ 
scientiously to the work of canvassing, which 
promises larger financial returns for yourself 
and greater blessings for those in whose in¬ 
terest you labor. 


186 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


568. That Tired Feeling.—Canvassers per¬ 
haps more than any other class of people are 
subject to frequent and oftentimes violent at¬ 
tacks by that microbe known as “that tired 
feeling.’’ They are especially susceptible to 
an attack the morning following a day of in¬ 
different success. It even frequently attacks 
a canvasser the morning following the day 
which marks the achievement of his largest 
success. There is but one safeguard against 
the attack of this microbe and that is to have 
a fixed hour in the morning for beginning the 
work, and then to begin as promptly and con¬ 
scientiously as if you were a bank president. 
It is a good thing to retire early in the even¬ 
ing, arise at an early hour in the morning, de¬ 
vote ten minutes to physical culture, and then 
so dispose your time that you can devote a half 
hour to a conscientious study of the canvasser’s 
instructions, and another half hour to the 
reading of a chapter in one of the books them¬ 
selves. And then at the time appointed, be¬ 
gin on the minute as faithfully as if you were 
to catch a train, or had an appointment with 
the President of the United States. 

569. Rainy Days.—The song truthfully says 
“some days must be dark and cold and 
dreary” and “into each life some rain must 
fall.” No one likes rainy days or bad weath¬ 
er, but for the wise and energetic canvasser 
such days are often his very best. In the 
country on such days farmers have more leis¬ 
ure, in town merchants and others are less oc- 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


187 


cupied, and in cities professional people and 
all classes are not as much besieged, and con¬ 
sequently have more leisure and can the bet¬ 
ter afford the canvasser an attentive hearing. 
On bright, pleasant, sunny days people are 
oftentimes away from home, but on rainy days 
you are quite sure to find them at home. A 
pair of overshoes, an umbrella and an abun¬ 
dance of sunshine which an energetic, earnest 
and enthusiastic canvasser can always carry 
with him in the homes of the people, will, upon 
such days, always make himself more welcome 
because of the good cheer which he brings 
with him. 

570. Everlastingly at It. —The most suc¬ 
cessful men in every department of life, as 
well as in canvassing, are not generally those 
who have the largest amount of natural gen¬ 
ius, the greatest ability or the finest educa¬ 
tion, but they are the people who value their 
time, work with all their might and are ever¬ 
lastingly at it. They are the people who put 
their whole soul into their work, and they get 
a splendid character and a grand success out 
of it. They make life worth the living. 

571. Be Systematic. —Make some system¬ 
atic division of your time. Use eight solid 
hours for sleep, eight solid hours for canvass¬ 
ing and that will leave you eight hours out of 
the twenty-four for recreation, reading, letter 
writing and such preparation as your work 
requires. 


188 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS . 


572. Do Not Canvass too Fast. —Be cau¬ 
tious not to canvass too rapidly. In towns and 
cities you should allow one week for each one 
thousand inhabitants. Thorough work cannot 
be done in less. The man who undertakes to 
canvass forty or fifty families a day is sim¬ 
ply preparing the way for the success of the 
canvasser who comes after him. 

573. Do Thorough Work. —Make a thor¬ 
ough canvass of every street, every house, 
every work-shop, mill, factory, store and of¬ 
fice. Canvass every class—teachers, physi¬ 
cians, preachers, lawyers, members of Young 
Men’s Christian Associations, Women’s Chris¬ 
tian Temperance Unions, all Bible Classes, 
Sunday-school teachers, and people of every 
other class. While the intelligent middle 
class are usually the best purchasers, do not 
slight the wealthy, to them you can frequently 
sell an entire set of books for purposes of 
reference on the shelves of their library— 
neither pass by the humble poor. Many ex¬ 
cellent people sometimes live in humble houses 
in order that they may better economize and 
have the means to secure the best intellectual 
advantages. Canvass the married and un¬ 
married, both men and women, young and old, 
but never canvass young boys or young girls. 
Our books should always come to children 
through the hands of their parents. 

If it seems to you that you are taking a 
great deal of time to get over the assigned 
territory, never mind, take all the time it re- 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


189 


quires to do thorough work. If you are can¬ 
vassing in a country district by the use of a 
bicycle remember that it is not your cyclom¬ 
eter, but your subscription book that tells what 
you are accomplishing. Give as much time to 
each family as is necessary, if it requires an 
entire hour. 

574. What Is Thorough Work.—A few 

days ago an experienced canvasser when 
choosing territory preferred a city where the 
canvass was just being completed. One of the 
canvassers was still on the territory. A few 
days later he reported that he had followed in 
the wake of one of the canvassers and that he 
had sold eleven books in the first nine houses 
at which he called. 

The following quotations show, not theories, 
but results of actual work. These are a few 
from many scores of letters which could be 
quoted: 

“I worked twelve days, made 118 canvasses, 
sold 196 books.’ ’ —R. B. Kellog. 

“For a while to-day I followed behind a 
canvasser of another publishing house and 
sold five books in four of the homes where the 
other canvasser had just left without selling 
a single copy.”—B. S. Clifford. 

“I have averaged two books to every three 
canvasses.”—E. H. Cressy. 

“Mr. S. A. Reeser, who has been steadily 
engaged in the sale of our books for a consid¬ 
erable period and who does very conscientious 
and thorough work and may be accepted as a 


190 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


standard for emulation, has made the follow¬ 
ing sales: In Franklin, Pa., with a population 
of 7,300, sold 550 books; Oil City, Pa., popula¬ 
tion 13,200, sold 800 books; Bradford, Pa., pop¬ 
ulation 15,000, sold 1,050 books; Jamestown, 
New York, population 22,800, sold 2,200 
books; Warren, Pa., population 8,000, sold 
1,600 books. 

Taking these five places with an aggregate 
population of 66,300 and a total sale of 6,250 
books, the average sale to the population is 
about one copy to each ten inhabitants, count¬ 
ing men, women and children. 

575. An Appeal to the Philanthropic.— 

People are oftentimes interested not only in 
purchasing a set or two of the books for loan 
purposes, but also in purchasing the books 
in quantity for donation purposes. Teachers 
of Bible classes and others often purchase a 
copy of a suitable book for each person in 
their class. Hon. J. J. H. Gregory, of Marble¬ 
head, Massachusetts, ex-member of the Senate 
of Massachusetts, purchased and gave away 
more than 1,300 copies of these books. Other 
persons have purchased them in quantities for 
the same purpose. Many have purchased 
scores of these books simply to give to per¬ 
sons who would not otherwise possess them¬ 
selves of the information which these books 
contain. At least one philanthropic person has 
become so deeply impressed with the value of 
these books that he has left in his will a leg¬ 
acy the interest of which is to be used each 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


191 


year under the direction of his executor, for 
placing copies of these books where they will 
do the largest possible good. 

If persons tell you that they do not know of 
any who stand in need of such literature, ask 
them to purchase a set or a quantity of any 
one book, if more suitable, and to place the 
same in the hands of the secretary of the Y. 
M. C. A, the president of the W. C. T. XL, or 
in the hands of some Young People’s Society 
of Christian Endeavor or other organization 
for loan purposes. The Superintendent of the 
High School, the pastor, or the pastor’s wife, 
or possibly the physician or the physician’s 
wife would be very glad indeed to accept and 
circulate such a set of books. 

In these and many other ways persons may 
be enlisted upon a very large scale to the ac¬ 
complishment of a great good in the midst of 
almost any community. 

576. Young People’s Societies. —A mem¬ 
ber of the Good Literature Committee in one 
of the Christian Endeavor Societies in Penn¬ 
sylvania writes: “Dr. Stall’s book to young 
men is being circulated by our committee and 
has already been read by eighteen young men. ’ ’ 
The same Society is placing all the other books 
in circulation. Another writes: “Not only 
the young men but the young women in our 
Christian Endeavor Society are circulating 
your Purity Books in the community. We 
purchased two copies of each book, which we 
keep in circulation. They are well-worn, but 
have saved several young people.” 


192 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


In this way a canvasser may be able to se¬ 
cure a goodly number of orders by soliciting 
the Good Literature Committee in the Chris¬ 
tian Endeavor, Baptist Union, Epworth 
League, Luther League, and other young peo¬ 
ple’s societies. This, however, should not be 
done until the entire community has first been 
canvassed; otherwise, individual members of 
these societies would be likely to excuse them¬ 
selves from purchasing upon the score that 
they would be able to read the books purchas¬ 
ed by the Good Literature Committee. Let 
the solicitation and sales to the societies be 
made last of all. The same is true of librar¬ 
ies of Young Men’s Christian Associations and 
other societies. 

577. The Appeal to Parents. —A wise and 

judicious canvasser can often enlist the aid 
and co-operation of parents in an effort to re¬ 
deem and save an entire community. Indeed, 
the saving of one’s own home oftentimes ne¬ 
cessitates the saving of an entire community. 
To such persons an appeal like the follow¬ 
ing is both powerful and effective: 

Is there a single family in your community 
where ignorance fosters impurity ? If there is, 
then your own home is not safe. Vice is like 
small-pox. So long as a single case exists in 
a community, that community is not safe; un¬ 
til the last case of contagion is stamped out 
the health officers give themselves no rest. 

When fire has consumed all that is valuable 
of a building, the firemen labor at great cost, 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


193 


and oftentimes at great risk, to extinguish the 
flames, not because of the value of the charred 
timbers that remain, but because it is the only 
course to pursue in order to secure the safety 
of other buildings. It will not do to leave in 
any community a single individual whose mind 
or morals are corrupted by vicious thoughts 
and degrading practices. The flames of lust 
must be entirely extinguished, or no home is 
safe in that community. 

If any family in your community is too poor 
to purchase purity literature, the safety of 
your community and of your home demands 
that you should, even at your own expense, 
place copies of these books in every such 
home. 

This is how it is being done, a lady writes: 
“I placed a copy of ‘What A Young Man 
Ought To Know’ into the hands of a young 
man employed in the mill, to circulate it 
among the many young men employed there, 
and he is doing excellent work in that direc¬ 
tion. 99 

Such illustrations are suggestive to the wide¬ 
awake canvasser. 

578. “Get Others to Work for You.—The 

most successful agent doesn’t do his work 
alone. He secures the co-operation of every¬ 
one in the community who is vitally interested 
in the books and their mission. This does not 
mean that he gets the names of their friends 
from them, but it means that they actually get 
out and hustle for him—that they speak; to 
12 


194 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


their friends and neighbors so enthusiastically 
of the books that a desire for them is created 
and all the agent has to do is to write up the 
order and deliver the books. That’s the way 
some of our agents are averaging over 100 
per week, while others just as talented have to 
be content with 50 or 60. When you meet a 
woman who is all wrapped up in the work you 
are doing, have her speak to her friends about 
it during the day and call upon her in the 
evening for results. When you find a young 
man similarly interested get him to hustle for 
you. Get half a dozen to work for you and 
you will get such an enthusiasm worked up 
over the telephone, you will be stopped on the 
street for orders and you will be the most talk¬ 
ed of person in that community. Co-operation 
is what does it. Don’t be afraid to ask others 
to help you. Your work is worthy the time and 
efforts of the busiest man on earth.”—(K.) 

579. Enlisting Others to Canvass.—If you 
will enlist the interest of other persons with 
whom we have not previously had correspond¬ 
ence and whose names are not already on our 
list, and with whom no other canvasser has 
labored in a similar way, and if you will get 
them to devote themselves exclusively to can¬ 
vassing for the books in the Self and Sex Se¬ 
ries, we will pay you $25.00 in cash on the 
sales of each and every such new canvasser 
thus secured through your influence who shall 
singly sell and pay us for 500 books at our 
regular prices within four months after we ap- 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


195 


point him, and upon condition that he con¬ 
forms to all our printed terms and conditions. 
Upon the receipt of such names we will at once 
enter into correspondence with these persons, 
sending them circulars and printed matter, 
and will do our best to induce them to enter at 
once upon the work and to continue therein. 
The canvasser who thus enlists others would 
do well himself to train them as thoroughly as 
possible, and should subsequently keep in 
touch with them by letter and do all in his 
power to make their work a thorough success. 

580. Keeping Samples in Good Condition. 

—The canvasser should always seek to keep 
his sample books in the best condition. Books 
that are somewhat soiled may oftentimes be 
sold to some economical person who would ap¬ 
preciate the saving of 25 or 30 cents, and then 
the book in the case can be replaced by a new 
one. When a book is sold in this way it 
should always be distinctly understood that 
the reduction is made because the book is 
slightly soiled. Unless this is distinctly un¬ 
derstood other persons who have purchased 
from you may think that you have two prices 
and are dishonest, and the person who pur¬ 
chases at a reduction may subsequently de¬ 
sire to purchase at a book store and tell the 
book dealer that he purchased copies of these 
books at seventy or seventy-five cents and thus 
introduce serious demoralization. 

Where the green wrappers are worn they 
can be replaced by new ones, and thus give the 


196 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS . 


canvasser’s samples a clean, fresh appear¬ 
ance. When ordering new wrappers the can¬ 
vassers should send two cents for each wrap¬ 
per, and should be also sure to name which 
wrappers are desired. They can be sent by 
mail, post free. 

581. The Price of Our Books.—The books 
in the Self and Sex Series are published in 
only one style of binding and are never al¬ 
lowed to be sold at any other than the full net 
price of $1.00 per copy. Canvassers are never 
allowed, under any circumstances to sell the 
books to book stores, book dealers or any 
other person who sells books. 

582. The People Next Door.—Before leav¬ 
ing a house the names of the people next door 
may be easily secured either by suggesting that 
because they are interested in this great move¬ 
ment, or because you are so hurried in your 
work that every bit of information will prove 
helpful and valuable to you and that you will 
appreciate their assistance. Always write it 
down, so that you may have it later if the 
party should not be in and it should be nec¬ 
essary for you to call back later. Learn not 
only the name but the occupation, the num¬ 
ber of persons in the family, the names and 
ages of the children and everything which may 
help you to adjust yourself to the situation in 
the wisest possible way. When you call upon 
a person it is not only highly important to 
know his or her name, but also their occupa- 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


197 


tion, condition, interests, etc., but especially 
also any titles, such as judge, doctor, colonel, 
squire, professor, etc. The importance of ad¬ 
dressing a man by his name, and especially 
by his title, cannot be overestimated. In many 
instances failure to do this handicaps the can¬ 
vasser from the beginning. 

583. Canvassing Foreigners.—When can¬ 
vassing among foreigners they will often ask 
for a book in their own language, not because 
they want it or would be willing to subscribe 
for it, but simply as a bluff in order to get rid 
of the canvassers. We have copies of our 
books in many other languages and on that 
subject refer the canvasser to Paragraph 495. 

When dealing with those who desire a book 
in some foreign language it is well to present 
the argument that this book in English is writ¬ 
ten in such plain terms that they will not 
only be able to understand it thoroughly, but 
that the reading of it in English will also re¬ 
sult in teaching them and their family to 
speak and write English better than anything 
else they could do. The reading of an inter¬ 
esting book like this is almost equivalent to a 
term in school, and its presence in the homes 
will be a constant inducement to the better 
acquisition of the English Language. 

584. Write Us for Help.—If at anytime 
you meet with difficulties or perplexities re¬ 
member that the home office is designed to be 
your co-worker and helper. Feel free to write 


198 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


us at all times for advice and suggestion. Par¬ 
tial success or complete failure may result 
from neglect to do so. We are not only always 
ready, but glad to assist in any way within 
our power. That is our business. If our re¬ 
ply is not always exactly what you expect, it 
will yet be the very best that we are able to 
do with the information that you sent us as 
a guide. 

Before writing us it is always well for the 
canvasser to take this book of instruction and 
refer to the index at the back of the book 
where under the alphabetical arrangement he 
may be able to turn readily and secure at once 
the very information he seeks. This book has 
been prepared with a view to meeting all such 
contingencies. The canvasser who writes 
constantly for answers to little perplex¬ 
ities which are answered over and over 
again in these pages only evinces his lack 
of familiarity with his book of instructions, 
and leads us to fear that any letter we might 
write would be equally ineffective in making 
any impression upon him. 

585. Helping the Publisher and Other Can¬ 
vassers.—For the assistance and encourage¬ 
ment of others in their canvass, we shall be 
under many obligations to each canvasser if he 
will communicate to us any personal method 
which he adopts with special success; how he 
overcomes difficulties, effectively meets argu¬ 
ments and successfully secures subscriptions. 
These and other matters will be helpful to 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


199 


place in print at intervals for the assistance 
and encouragement of other canvassers in their 
work. Tell us not only about the bright days 
and the great results, but also about the dark 
days and the discouragements you meet, for 
every business and every undertaking has its 
discouragements. Send us both sunshine and 
shadow. 

586. “Watch Your Habits.—They may be 
natural or acquired, but in either case should 
be carefully thought over. You will probably 
find some that should be abandoned or cor¬ 
rected; others cultivated and carefully guard¬ 
ed. Do your best to bring them up to the 
standard set in the books you are selling. 
Whatever you do, your great aim should be 
to become a better citizen. It pays in every 
way, both financially and morally. Every bad 
habit will alienate some one, and attract no 
one whose friendship is worth having. Your 
own happiness, as well as your success in 
business, depends upon keeping your mind, 
body and purse free from the tax of bad hab¬ 
its. Never seek business or pleasure that 
you have to compromise character to get. All 
great business enterprises to-day seek men of 
character to operate them. They are turning 
from men of bad habits entirely. They used 
to limit their restrictions to “while on duty,” 
but now they include all time, night and day, 
whether on or off duty.”—(K.) 

587. Your Company.—“You will probably 


200 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


enter most territory a stranger. This is an 
advertisement for your business, if you are 
the right kind of stranger. While you are 
looking up people, hundreds are looking at 
you, wondering who you are, where you 
belong and what you represent. You should 
take advantage of this curiosity as the highest 
class of advertising. If you have lived right 
where you came from, you can have with you 
letters of commendation that will be respected 
by people of standing in the community and 
will aid you in getting immediate attention. 
By accepting such letters you are under obli¬ 
gation to respect the giver and the one to 
whom they are presented. Should you fall 
below the measure of commendation given, you 
do not deserve their friendship. Bad com¬ 
pany ruins your standing and your business. 
Good company helps both. Go to church, Sun¬ 
day-school, Endeavor, and Y. M. C. A. meet¬ 
ings. Be select in the class of entertainments 
you patronize. Avoid undue familiarity with 
corrupt people, as you would a pestilence. If 
you meet them in doing your work, it should 
be to benefit them, talk business to them from 
the start, the same as you would to all other 
people canvassed, take their orders, then go. 
Make counselors of the ministers and teachers. 
They will know the community, the best places 
for you to board and those who can be most 
helpful to you in your work. ,, -r-(K.) 

588. Licenses.—Of the many canvassers 
who have been engaged in selling our books, 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


201 


we do not know of any having been annoyed 
by an effort to impose upon them the necessity 
of securing or paying for a license; and 
while it is not at all likely that such a difficulty 
will occur in the future, yet that our can¬ 
vassers may be safeguarded from such a possi¬ 
bility, it is well to say that in some portions of 
the country it was formerly the custom of 
some local or State authorities to demand the 
payment of a fee for a license. This matter 
has been fought out in the United States Su¬ 
preme Court several times, and is now thor¬ 
oughly settled. The United States Supreme 
Court has decided that all local laws taxing 
commercial travelers, canvassers or agents who 
sell from samples only, and who represent 
houses not located in the State where the per¬ 
son is at work, are unconstitutional and there¬ 
fore void. The leading cases in which this pe¬ 
tition has been made and affirmed are as fol¬ 
lows: Robbins vs. The Shelby County Taxing 
District, 120 U. S., 489, S. C., 7 Supreme Court 
Rep. 592; Corson vs. Maryland, 120 U. S., 
502 S. C., 7 Supreme Court Rep. 655; Ex 
parte Insley, 33 Fed. Rep. 680; Simmons Hard¬ 
ware Company vs. McGuire, Second Southern 
Rep.,592, State vs. Pratt, 9 Atl. Rep. 556. 

Only a few days ago the Supreme Court of 
Pennsylvania in the ease of N. L. Rearick 
against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 
involving an ordinance in the town of Sun- 
bury, Pennsylvania, overruled the action of a 
lower court, on the ground that Rearick was 
engaged in Interstate Commerce and that his 


202 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS . 


business was not within the jurisdiction of the 
State authority. 

Where a demand for a license is made the 
canvassers should call at once upon the Mayor 
of the town or city, or if he is at work in the 
country upon the sheriff or other proper offi¬ 
cer, and call his attention to these rulings of 
the Supreme Court and ask for protection un¬ 
der them. If this does not secure the desired 
result, a good attorney would be willing to take 
up the case for the amount of damages which 
can be secured from the parties who try to im¬ 
pose upon the canvasser. A tax upon the 
canvasser is a tax upon education and no en¬ 
lightened community would think of trying to 
enforce such a stupid measure, and any officer 
demanding a license from a canvasser places 
himself in contempt of the United States Su¬ 
preme Court and may be prosecuted accord¬ 
ingly for oppression in office, which makes 
him liable to a fine for exceeding his author¬ 
ity. If any canvasser should be annoyed and 
does not find relief by the above suggestions, 
he should at once write to the publisher. 

589. Re-Canvassing the Same Territory.— 

A careful record has been kept of all territory 
already canvassed, and as far as possible we 
always try to acquaint a canvasser with regard 
to what condition he will find when he arrives 
upon a field. There is sometimes difficulty in 
doing this with absolute certainty, because 
some careless or indifferent canvasser has 
over-stepped the boundaries of the territory 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


203 


assigned him and sold some books in the out¬ 
skirts of an adjoining territory. Where a can¬ 
vasser has been assured that a territory has 
not been previously canvassed and he finds 
after arriving upon the territory that some 
books have previously been sold, he should not 
allow this to disturb his mind, but go right 
along with his work. He should, however, no¬ 
tify us at once and give us the name and ad¬ 
dress of the canvasser who sold the book, when 
they were sold, and any other information 
he can about the work which has been previ¬ 
ously done. We desire to assure all of our can¬ 
vassers that it is our earnest purpose to do 
what is square and honest with every person 
who engages in business with us, and we pur¬ 
pose to hold canvassers to the same strict ac¬ 
count. 

When choosing territory some experienced 
canvassers prefer to select that which has al¬ 
ready been canvassed, and claim that to one 
who is experienced and knows how to canvass, 
such territory affords better advantages than 
territory which has never been canvassed. In¬ 
experienced canvassers usually prefer entirely 
new territory. Some experienced canvassers 
prefer the territory which has already been 
canvassed for the following reasons: 

1. —As a consequence of the first canvass, 
the books are already known, and in many 
homes their value is thoroughly appreciated. 

2. —Each book that has been sold proves but 
a forerunner to prepare the way for the sale 
of other books of the same series in the same 
family. 


204 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


3. —On territory previously canvassed a cor¬ 
dial welcome already awaits the coming of 
the canvasser, and local commendations and 
earnest co-operation are the more easily se¬ 
cured. 

4. —Such territory does not require much 
preparatory work. Pastors are ready to sign 
the endorsements, pulpit announcements are 
easily secured, names of former subscribers 
can properly be added to the canvasser’s list, 
not as fictitious subscribers, but as persons 
who have actually subscribe 1 for these books. 

5. —Upon such territory the canvasser can 
the more easily secure the co-operation of lead¬ 
ing persons in the manner suggested in para¬ 
graph 578. 

A good idea of what can be done in territory 
previously canvassed may be learned from the 
following quotations from letters of .those who 
have proven the results: 

“I have been much encouraged since I 
came here, although the town was canvassed 
two years ago, yet on Wednesday I took 18 
orders, and on Thursday, 14.” 

“The sale of a few books in Kirkwood, last 
year helped the sale this year. You state that 
75 books were sold in Monmouth last year. I 
think of trying the place again, there have 
only been enough books sold there to advertise 
them properly.” 

Toward the close of the canvass in Chester, 
Pa., one of the young men employed a lady 
who was a trained nurse. The city had been 
quite thoroughly canvassed, several hundred 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


205 


books had been sold, but this lady was able 
to make sales in very many families because 
of the interest which had already been created 
by the earlier canvass. A student from the 
Crozer Theological Seminary also started in to 
canvass before the first canvass of the city had 
been wholly completed. He sold seven books 
in the first nine houses he visited. He had 
simile^ later results. 

Ithaca, New York, was canvassed in 1904 
and 530 copies were sold. Some further can¬ 
vassing was done in 1905 and 174 copies were 
sold. Another, but not thorough canvass was 
made during the Easter vacation in 1906, by 
some students of the University, and some 400 
copies or more were sold. 

“In Creighton the territory had been work¬ 
ed once about a year ago, but notwithstanding 
that I sold 116 books there in one week.”—J. 
M. Long. 

“My work this week is in a town where they 
know little of the books, and for that reason 
may he a little harder to canvass. Tingley 
had been canvassed before, so I sold a good 
number there for the size of the place because 
they knew something about the books. ’ ’ —Ray¬ 
mond Hill. 

“As for the selling qualities of the books, 
surely the ‘Self and Sex Series’ stand without 
a peer. Since June 15th I have worked about 
two full months, and have sold over 500 books. 
I am going to be with the company next year 
and hope to do better. Where the books have 
been introduced, it creates a demand for 
more.”—S. F. Sharpe. 


206 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


“The fact that convinces me more than any 
other that the ‘Self and Sex Series’ are ap¬ 
preciated above the average subscription 
books is that in re-canvassing territory that I 
canvassed personally three years ago with 
the same books, I sold in this field more books 
per hour, per day and per week than I did in 
entirely new field. If I am allowed to sug¬ 
gest, I would say to agents, so far as possible 
select some field that has already been can¬ 
vassed, because the books that are already in 
the field will be a great help to you in getting 
subscriptions for more, and the people who 
have them will be your friends.”—A. J. 
Mielke. 

The first canvass usually secures its sub¬ 
scribers principally from the more intelligent 
and influential people, and thus places the 
territory in a condition to be more success¬ 
fully canvassed the second time. The people 
are inclined upon the first canvass to ad¬ 
mit that these may possibly be good books, but 
they never heard of them before, and that they 
will wait and see what their neighbors do, 
even if they do not learn of the merits of these 
books in the meantime from their neighbors, 
which is very likely, they will, when the can¬ 
vasser comes around a second time, be im¬ 
pressed with the fact that the books must be 
books of real merit, or they would not be pre¬ 
sented a second time. Not only can books be 
sold in families where previous purchases were 
made, and from those who failed to subscribe 
the first time, but new crops of readers come 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


207 


on very rapidly* Children grow up, the boy 
of a couple of years ago is approaching young 
manhood, the former young man and young 
woman have oftentimes married and organized 
new families, people have moved in from other 
localities, persons who did not have the money 
the first time now find themselves differently 
situated, and with all the new influences which 
are brought to bear upon a community the 
subscriptions are secured as readily, if not 
more so, in territory previously canvassed, 
than in territory never canvassed at all. 

As a rule, however, we advise inexperienced 
canvassers to choose entirely new territory, 
for the simple reason that when they find a 
place where a single book has been sold they 
lose heart, thinking that if that book 
had not previously been sold they would 
themselves have secured the order, while 
they forget that the sale of that book has pre¬ 
pared the way in that very family for the sale 
of two or three additional books and that if 
they can not succeed in selling additional books 
where the merits of the books are already 
known, they would quite surely have failed in 
selling the first copy when the merits of the 
books were wholly unknown. 

590. Class Canvassing.—Before doing any 
class canvassing a thorough study should be 
made of the special canvasses for ministers, 
physicians, teachers and others found in the 
later sections of this book on “ class canvass¬ 
ing.’ J 


208 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


591. Some General Principles.—1.—Al¬ 
ways start your subscription list with influen¬ 
tial names. 

2. —Never intrude your books or your busi¬ 
ness upon a customer when you find that he 
is really busy. 

3. —Always lay out your day’s work, route, 
etc., the night before. By this method you 
will save much valuable time. 

4. —No two subscribers can be handled in 
the same way. What appeals strongly to one 
may fail wholly to influence the other. 

5. —Knowledge of the universal needs for 
these books and an enthusiasm for the books 
based upon a thorough knowledge of their 
teachings are essential to success. 

6. —When thoroughly tired out, or exhaust¬ 
ed, cease canvassing, go to your room and de¬ 
vote yourself wholly to rest and sleep, but be 
careful never to mistake laziness for weari¬ 
ness. 

7. —When you call upon a family where 
callers or visitors are being entertained, it is 
usually better to excuse one’s self and call at 
another time. This may not, however, be a 
universal rule. 

8. —Always keep your own counsels. Tell 
no one what commissions you receive, how 
many books you have sold, or other items con¬ 
cerning your business. It will be sure to work 
to your detriment. 

9. —Do not waste time in search of better 
territory. Such a search is always unprofit¬ 
able and oftentimes expensive. Adapt your- 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


209 


self to conditions, do thorough and conscien¬ 
tious work and you will be sure to reap large 
results. 

10. —You must expect occasional rebuffs, 
but never allow them to dampen your enthusi¬ 
asm. Few canvassers at the end of a week are 
able to recall a single instance which has made 
more than a momentary impression upon their 
mind. 

11. Never plead your personal need of 
money or any other personal consideration in 
order to induce people to subscribe. You do 
both yourself and your cause a great injustice 
by such a method. 

12. —If you want to secure subscribers you 
must know what you are going to talk about, 
and in order to do this you must understand 
both your book of instructions and the books 
which you are showing to your customer, and 
then talk straight to the mark. 

13. —Never allow yourself to be insulted. 
Never get angry. Never allow yourself to 
be thrown off your guard. At all times speak 
the absolute truth, be upright and honest in 
all your dealings and relations, and merit the 
confidence of others and your own self-respect. 

14. —Never allow yourself to be drawn into 
an argument upon politics, or any other mat¬ 
ters. Your business is not to convert others 
to your way of thinking upon other subjects, 
but to sell them copies of the books in the Self 
and Sex Series. To win an argument is always 
to lose a sale. 

15. —Never carry any other books in your 

13 


210 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


canvass except those of the “Self and Sex 
Series.” In this set of books you have what 
is needed by every man, woman and child in 
every family you canvass. 

16. —Learn what parents have children 
away from home, either in business or attend¬ 
ing school. For such these books are specially 
important, and the parents will appreciate the 
dangers to which such sons and daughters are 
exposed. 

17. —Never canvass men in groups. You 
cannot secure the attention of all. Some 
11 smart ’ 1 person will seek to make some 
“bright remarks,” create a laugh and defeat 
your work. When canvassed separately each 
of these persons might subscribe for a book or 
more. Avoid groups of idle men as you would 
a pestilence. Nothing can be done in public 
gatherings. 

18. —Impress upon parents the fact that no 
one in a brief conversation can so delicately 
and effectively impress these topics of purity 
upon the mind of their child as is done in 
these books by authors who are themselves 
Christian parents and who have carefully 
chosen each word they have written. With 
bright children of eight or ten years of age, 
it is usually best for the parent to place the 
book in their hands for a careful, personal 
reading. 

19. —Haste and lack of thoroughness are the 
two greatest evils with which agents have to 
contend. The man who puts fifty houses be¬ 
tween his first and last call for the day in a 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


211 


sparsely settled community works hard, spoils 
territory, and has nothing but weariness as his 
reward at the end of the day. Reversethe or¬ 
der from “much territory and little time” to 
the more profitable order of “little territory 
and much time ’’ so as to do thorough work and 
a larger subscription will be your reward. 

20. —Do not be afraid to talk. People ex¬ 
pect you to talk. You cannot do justice to the 
books, to yourself or to your customer unless 
yon do talk. Be careful, however, what you 
say. Be choice in the selection of your words. 
Use none which are coarse or which might of¬ 
fend the most delicate taste or the most mod¬ 
est person. Remember, at all times, that you 
are engaged in the work of purity, and let 
your language, your thought and your conduct 
be in keeping with the teachings of the books 
you are introducing. Always be polite, but 
never be silly. 

21. —After securing a subscription it is us¬ 
ually well, as far as convenient, to avoid meet¬ 
ing your subscribers. If you have secured an 
order for a set of books from a person who 
has been greatly impressed by your presenta¬ 
tion of them and the books are to be delivered 
sometime in the future he may subsequently 
lose his interest, meet you some day when he 
feels very poor and injudiciously conclude that 
he does not need the books and acting upon 
the impulse of the moment tell you that you 
need not order the books. Such persons com¬ 
monly reason, although very wrongly, that 
as you have not yet sent your money to the 


212 


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 


publisher for the books it will be no loss to you 
if he cancels his order. Whereas, if the sub¬ 
scriber does not see you between the time of 
ordering and the moment of delivery he will 
then reason that as the book has been ordered 
especially for him it is now too late to change 
his order, and he will therefore accept it with¬ 
out a moment’s hesitation. 


PART II 

SUGGESTIVE CANVASSES 


14 


r> 


CANVASSERS’ FORMULAS. 


215 


CHAPTER XIV. 

CANVASSERS’ FORMULAS. 

592. Preliminary Reading.—Before begin¬ 
ning the study of the following formulas the 
canvasser should turn to Paragraphs 458 and 
459. 

Concerning the form of salutation he should 
also carefully read Paragraph 462. 

593. Modifications.—The following formu¬ 
las may in some instances be somewhat fuller 
than necessity requires. Many canvassers fail 
because they do not have enough to say. On 
this account we have made the formulas quite 
full so that they may be adequately sugges¬ 
tive. The canvasser should always seek, first 
of all, to be thoroughly equipped and pre¬ 
pared, if need be, to talk for an entire hour 
with intelligence and impressiveness upon any 
one book in the series. After having this 
thorough preparation, he should then seek to 
be as brief as is consistent with effectiveness 
and success. You should seek brevity in or¬ 
der to save your own time and the time of your 
customer also. Sufficient time, however, 
should be used to impress the customer deeply 
with regard to the value of the books, other¬ 
wise an aggravating loss of time may be oc¬ 
casioned when the day of delivery comes, 
because the canvasser failed in the first in- 


210 


CANVASSERS’ FORMULAS. 


stance to make the desire for the book as 
strong as it should have been made. 

594. Making the Canvass Effective.—A 

thorough study of the canvasses themselves 
is not sufficient. The canvasser should now 
make a very thorough study of the book of 
instructions from Chapter Six to the end of 
Chapter Ten. The importance of this is illus¬ 
trated by a single instance. Recently one of 
our canvassers started in to work before this 
book of instruction was prepared. The first 
four weeks he sold 100 books. We realized 
that the man was not succeeding as he should. 
A competent field manager visited him, spent 
two days in having this man canvass him, so 
as to discover where his deficiencies were, 
and then coached him and instructed him, and 
had the canvasser go over the canvasses again 
and again. As a result of this additional study 
and training, in the next four weeks this same 
canvasser sold 500 books. It is impossible to 
send a field manager to assist every canvasser, 
and to accomplish that end, this full and com¬ 
plete book of instructions has been prepared. 
But this work also goes for naught unless the 
canvasser devotes himself to a faithful and 
thorough study of not only every chapter, but 
of every paragraph and of every sentence in 
the book. 

When the canvasser enters upon his work he 
should read this entire book, then he should 
take up the first five chapters and study them 
thoroughly, in preparing himself and his field. 


CANVASSERS 9 FORMULAS. 


217 


When he has made these mental, physical and 
field ‘ ‘ preparations ’ ’ he should take up a 
thorough study of the subject of canvassing 
as contained in Chapter Six to the end of 
Chapter Ten, including also the suggestions 
found in Chapter Thirteen. 

After having secured his orders he should 
read carefully and thoroughly the instruc¬ 
tions with regard to ordering books found in 
Chapter Eleven, and when his books are re¬ 
ceived and he is to enter upon the work of de¬ 
livering he should make a thorough study of 
Chapter Twelve, upon the subject of delivery. 

595. Adaptation.—The following canvasses 
should be adapted by each canvasser to his or 
her own personal need. A woman when can¬ 
vassing can speak more freely to women con¬ 
cerning the subjects treated in these books 
than a man can. Upon the other hand a man 
can speak more freely to men than a woman 
could. It is not necessary for either a man or 
a woman when canvassing the opposite sex 
to dwell upon the specific character of the 
particular book which he or she is canvassing. 
The portrait of the author, the portraits and 
commendations of eminent persons, together 
with a reference to the table of contents and a 
reference to such other matters as are indi¬ 
cated in the following canvasses will be suf¬ 
ficient. Delicacy of thought and treatment 
adds strength to the canvass of either a man 
or a woman when canvassing the opposite sex. 
Indeed, this is true also when canvassing 
those of their own sex. 


14a 


218 CANVASSERS’ FORMULAS. 

596. Salutation.—The form of salutation 
used when the door is opened is of utmost im¬ 
portance. No one form is suited to all cir¬ 
cumstances. The following are suggestive. 
Either these or something equally good should 
be used: 

a. Mrs. Smith, I am calling upon the in¬ 
telligent people in the community and explain¬ 
ing to them the nature of the Purity Crusade 
which has been announced from all the pul¬ 
pits. With your kind permission I will step 
in for a moment. 

b. I am calling upon the intelligent people 
in the community and explaining to them a 
campaign in the interest of personal and so¬ 
cial purity. This movement is fostered and 
furthered by the pastors of all the churches in 
the city and with your permission I will step 
in and explain it to you. 

c. Mrs. Smith, I am doing some work in 
the interests of boys and girls and mothers. 
May I speak with you just a moment about it? 

d. Mrs. Smith, I have called to see you in 
reference to your son Harry (or your daugh¬ 
ter Mary), and with your kind permission I 
will step in for a moment. 

e. Mrs. Smith, I have been referred to you 
as one who would be interested in the move¬ 
ment which I represent. I am enlisting all 
the intelligent people in this community in a 
movement which is fostered and furthered by 
the pastors of all the churches and which they 
have commended from their pulpits. 

f. Good morning, is this Mr. Smith? My 


CANVASSERS’ FORMULAS. 


219 


name is Jones. I am calling at the suggestion 
of your neighbor, Mr. Brown. I am very busy 
this morning, but if you can spare me a mo¬ 
ment I must take time to explain to you a 
great work which I am doing in this town 
among the young men. They are being inter¬ 
ested in large numbers and I am sure you will 
want to learn of the movement. 

g. I am doing some work in the interests of 
the boys and girls and of their mothers. May 
I speak with you just a moment about it*? 

h. There are some instances in which it is 
impossible for the canvasser to know in ad¬ 
vance either the name of the occupants of 
the home or what members constitute the fam¬ 
ily. In such an event the wrong form of intro¬ 
duction would only result in failure to secure 
admission. If you come to such a home and 
say that you are engaged in the work in the 
interests of boys and girls and their mothers, 
and they have no children at all in the family, 
you afford a very convenient opportunity for 
the mother to say “we have no children,” 
and then close the door in your face. In such 
an event it would be necessary to have some 
other form of introduction. That which might 
be the very best form of introduction where 
they have children might be the very poorest 
form of introduction where they have none, 
and where the canvasser is wholly uncertain 
with regard to the situation the simple intro¬ 
duction : 

May I speak with you a moment, might 
be the very best form of introduction possible 
to use. 


220 


CANVASSERS’ FORMULAS. 


The matter of introduction is of utmost im¬ 
portance and every canvasser must use his 
very best judgment in deciding which form of 
salutation to use in each particular instance. 

597. The Value of Questions.—Throughout 
your entire canvass it is well to use the in¬ 
terrogative form. Ask questions. “That is 
fine, isn’t it, Mrs. Smith?” “Did you ever 
see anything stronger than that, Mrs. Smith ? ’ ’ 
“Did you ever see this question presented in 
such a beautiful way 'efoie, Mrs. Smith?” 
etc., etc. Introduce interrogatory forms wher¬ 
ever practicable, even more extensively than 
shown in the following canvass. The affirma¬ 
tive responses prepare the mind for an affirma¬ 
tive answer when you come to the question of 
closing the canvass. 

598. Commendation. — Any appreciative 
words concerning the children, the attrac¬ 
tiveness of the home, the thoughtful solicitude 
your customer has exhibited in her children, 
her interest in the community at large, or any 
other things for which you can commend her 
will be greatly to your advantage. By this 
means you will make her more anxious for the 
receipt of the book, she will pay for it more 
cheerfully, read it more appreciatively and 
commend it more frequently and heartily to 
all her friends and neighbors. 

599. Important for Evenings.—In the even¬ 
ing after the day’s work is done review the 


CANVASSERS’ FORMULAS. 


221 


successes and failures of the day. Seize upon 
good points and successful methods pursued in 
securing subscriptions during the day, and im¬ 
press them upon your mind for future use. 

Review each instance where you failed to 
secure a subscription during the day. Try to 
discover in each instance why you failed. 
Make a thorough study of the chapters of 
this book on “Securing a Hearing,” “Creat¬ 
ing the Desire” and “Securing the Subscrip¬ 
tion’ ’ and also study the chapter on “Objec¬ 
tions.” Make a careful study also of the 
different formulas. Qualify yourself to over¬ 
come difficulties such as you have encountered 
during the day. Make a daily, constant study 
of your work, and success is assured. If 
other canvassers can make from forty to sev¬ 
enty-five dollars a week straight along, you 
ought to be able to do the same thing. No 
better books were ever published, or are more 
needed. Understand the importance and value 
of them yourself, and qualify yourself to make 
others understand their importance and value 
also. 

Read a chapter, or at least eight or ten 
pages, of one of the books each morning be¬ 
fore starting out. It will keep your mind 
fresh and aflame, and help you to make a 
grand success of your work. 


222 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG BOY. 


SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CANVASS OF 
“YOUNG BOY.” * 

600. “Walk briskly along the street. Be 
sure that you have well in mind what you may 
already know about the person you are ap¬ 
proaching. If necessary, refer to your note 
book as you walk along. ” 

Remember, your face is the mirror of your 
thought and feeling. Be confident, be expec¬ 
tant. Realize deeply in your own mind the 
fact that you have a book that is absolutely 
essential for the well-being of the boy (or 
girl) in whose interest you are approaching 
the mother. 

“Place the case at the side of the door, and 
ring or knock properly. Walk back about two 
short steps. Stand attentive and face the 
door. When it is open and while tipping your 
hat say, in firm’, clear tones expectantly 1 
Mrs. Smith, I have called to see you in ref¬ 
erence to your son Harry and with your kind 
permission I will step in for a moment. At the 
same time “step forward to enter, taking off 
your hat and picking up your case as you go 


♦The above canvass is adapted from “Suggestions, 
or a Conversation on Selling the ‘Young Boy’ Book,” 
by Mr. H. L. Pickett. The portions quoted are taken 
from his canvass, and the portions not quoted are adap¬ 
tations suited to the changes which have taken place 
since Mr. Pickett’s canvass was written. His canvass 
was printed in “The Personal Helper” of June 22, 1905, 
and was copyrighted, 1905, by the Personal Help Pub¬ 
lishing Company. 



CANVASS FOR YOUNG BOY. 


223 


into the house. The lady will nearly always 
step back, inviting you to come in. As you en¬ 
ter the door you may hand her your card, or 
what is better, say distinctly, yet in a low 
voice, my name is (Pickett). 

“Put your hat somewhere at once and when 
seated continue after this fashion: I was talk¬ 
ing with your friend, Mrs. Gale, on Lincoln 
street, yesterday, and she told me that you had 
a young boy in your home—how old is your 
son, Mrs. Smith? 

“Be self poised, be collected. Wait a frac¬ 
tion of a second after her answer before speak¬ 
ing further, as if considering what to say, 
which you are really doing. It is not alone the 
words you use but the easy, forceful, personal 
way in which you speak these first few sen¬ 
tences that will make the impression and se¬ 
cure the undivided attention of your hearer, 
continue , 1 ’ 

In order that you may understand the na¬ 
ture of my work and the interest which the 
pastors of your city are taking in the boys 
and girls, I would like you to see their en¬ 
dorsement of my work. You will notice they 
have all signed it, and these are their per¬ 
sonal autographs. Call her special attention 
to the signature of her own pastor. 

The best people throughout this community 
are interested in my work, Mrs. Smith, and 1 
am sure you will be also. It is so vital to every 
boy and girl, indeed, to every man and wo¬ 
man, but especially the fathers and mothers. 
Handing her a copy of “What A Young Boy 


224 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG BOY. 


Ought To Know” which you can take back 
into your own hands after a moment. This is 
the book that I want especially to call your at¬ 
tention to in the interests of your boy. It is 
one in a series of Purity Books which have 
been so eminently commended and so widely 
circulated. Indeed, this little book which I 
have handed you has been translated into some 
fourteen different languages, several in India 
beside Japanese, Korean and most of the lan¬ 
guages of Europe. This is one book in a 
series. The four books to men are as follows: 
(“Name the books carefully and impressively, 
so that you are sure that she understands in a 
general way what the character of the books 
is.”) 

With your kind permission, Mrs. Smith, 
(at the same time extending your hand for the 
return of the book, say) “This book is ‘What 
A. Young Boy Ought To Know/ What a boy 
ought to know about the laws of his own na¬ 
ture while he is growing up.” 

“Now this book is written for a boy from 
the age of six or eight up to fifteen or sixteen 
years of age, and teaches a great many facts 
which a boy ought to know in the right way 
before he learns them in a wrong way. It is 
meant to help the mother solve the young boy 
problem which I think is how to teach a young 
boy in a pure way what most boys are allow¬ 
ed to learn in an impure way.” 

I want to show you, Mrs. Smith, the por¬ 
trait of the author of these books to boys 
and men. He has devoted many years to a 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG BOY. 


225 


study of the subject of Self and Sex and what 
grown people also ought to know about their 
own being. It is not surprising, Mrs. Smith, 
that these books should have become such a 
world-wide influence for here in the preface 
the author says (page 33): “When himself a 
boy the writer felt the need of just such a 
book as this. ,, He has lived near to nature’s 
heart and has written out of his own life and 
experience and from a wide study of the needs 
of boys and men. 

Here are portraits and commendations of 
many of the most eminent people in the world. 
Dr. Theodore Cuyler, the great devotional 
writer, says: “This book ought to be in every 
home where there is a boy.” 

Rev. Dr. Thompson, formerly moderator of 
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian 
Church, says: “It is indeed what boys ought 
to know—the failure to know which has been 
the cause of many sorrows and pains and pen¬ 
alties. Why was not this book written cen¬ 
turies ago?” That is a tremendously strong 
commendation, is it not, Mrs. Smith? 

Dr. Worden, another eminent Presbyterian, 
says: “This book must have been given unto 
you by the Father in Heaven, both in its con¬ 
ception and in its composition.” Nothing 
could be much stronger than that, could it, 
Mrs. Smith? 

Here is what Mr. Edward Bok, the editor of 
the “Ladies’ Home Journal,” says: “Other 
books have told other things, but you have 
compassed the whole subject.” 


is 


22(5 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG BOY. 


Here is Rev. F. B. Meyer, the eminent 
preacher and devotional writer of London: 
“I should like to see a wide and judicious dis¬ 
tribution of this literature among Christian 
circles.’’ 

Here is Bishop Vincent, of the Methodist 
Church, Lady Henry Somerset, President of 
the World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance 
Union. Note, Mrs. Smith, what she says: “I 
have long felt that we do not do enough to 
warn our children against the particular dif¬ 
ficulties that are certain to meet them as they 
go out into life.” That is the experience of 
every true mother, is it not, Mrs. Smith ? 

Here is Anthony Comstock, who has done so 
much to protect the boys and girls of this 
country. He says: “Every parent who has 
a boy would be benefited if he would carefully 
read this book and then communicate the facts 
to his boy.” 

Dr. Josiah Strong, the great preacher, says: 
“A foolish and culpable silence on the part 
of most parents leaves their children to learn 
too often from vicious companions sacred 
truths in an unhallowed way.” 

That is true, is it not, Mrs. Smith? Thou¬ 
sands of boys and girls are annually ruined 
because their parents do not know how to tell 
them sacred truths in the proper way. This 
book was written for that very purpose. 

“It always seems strange to me that so 
many thousands of boys are allowed to go 
wrong and make mistakes simply because no 
one tells them what they ought to know. I 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG BOY . 


227 


expect you find it hard to tell your boy all 
you want him to know about himself. It 
would be hard to answer all of a boy’s ques¬ 
tions, so this book is written with the idea 
that it can be read to a young boy, or it can 
be given to a boy to read for himself when he 
is old enough. Life will be safer for the boy 
who understands his own nature and feels that 
he is responsible for how he lives. If he once 
realizes that his whole future health and hap¬ 
piness depends upon his habits and what he 
does when he is a boy it certainly ought to 
make life safer for him. 

“This is the complete book. It contains all 
that a young boy ought to know and noth¬ 
ing that he ought not to know, and is written 
in a simple way that a boy will understand. 
This book uses illustrations from nature and is 
so interesting that every boy wants to read it. 

“By this time her attention has ripened into 
interest. Her interest should have changed 
to desire, and her desire to a resolve to buy. 
It is therefore time to close the order, so pause 
and allow her to think seriously for a brief 
moment. If she asks you the price or when 
you intend to deliver, tell her the price, or 
say: “Of course, this is a scientific book. It 
is the result of twenty years of special thought 
and study by a man of international reputa¬ 
tion, and it is the only book of its kind in the 
world. So you would expect it to cost a great 
deal, but the author wants to sell it at so small 
a cost that every boy in the country can get 
one, so I am bringing it to you for the very 


228 CANVASS FOR YOUNG BOY. 

small outlay of $1.00, and I imagine you feel 
like thousands of mothers and would like your 
boy to read it. I am planning to deliver here 
about the last of the month, about three weeks 
from Monday, but I can make special arrange¬ 
ments to get you one to-morrow if you would 
like to get it so soon. Would you like to get it 
as soon as that?” Many parents want it at 
once. 

“If she says yes, she would like to have it 
right away, write her order out immediately. 
If she says no, she wouldn’t want it so soon, 
say, ‘All right then, I don’t suppose you 
would want it before my regular delivery, 
would you?’ If she says no, say, ‘All right, 
thank you. I can arrange to bring it then.’ 

601. “After closing the order and having 
her sign, continue: 

‘ ‘ I think every person ought to have a 
chance to see these books and I want to call 
at every house on this street while I am here 
this morning. Are there any children in the 
next house, in the one next to that, just be¬ 
low there. Thank you. 

602. “Most people to whom you sell will 
mention without requesting them, several of 
their friends on their own street and in dif¬ 
ferent parts of the town. It is your business 
to direct this part of the conversation so that 
the information you thus receive shall be in 
systematic order according to how you are ar¬ 
ranging your note book of reference for that 
community. But it is especially important 
that you should learn about the people living 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG BOY. 


229 


on this street on which you are working, and it 
is highly important that you should continue 
your work where you are, no matter how much 
you may be tempted by especially good refer¬ 
ences to go to another section. At least stay 
there until the end of your morning or after¬ 
noon work. 

603. “The above canvass is simply a con¬ 
versation. It should be read slowly word by 
word in order to see how impressive it may be 
made. One should know where to put the em¬ 
phasis and when to dwell upon special phases 
of thought which seem to best hold the at¬ 
tention. Never be satisfied with an order for 
only one book. Aim high.” 

604. A canvasser can make a good impres¬ 
sion by saying some pleasant, complimentary 
things about the appearance of the home or if 
the woman is a Sunday-school teacher, on the 
importance of the work and the necessity of 
her becoming intelligent herself on these mat¬ 
ters, so that she can really understand her 
class of boys and know how to deal with them 
sympathetically and helpfully. 

If you find that her child is very young you 
should use the arguments which are set forth 
in paragraph 518. 

605. If the order is not forthcoming after 
following the above canvass it may be wise 
to call her attention to the table of contents 
and say: “Mrs. Smith, read this table of 
contents. This will show you the beautiful, 
sympathetic and instructive manner in which 
the author discusses these important matters. 


230 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG BOY. 


This one chapter in which he explains so clear¬ 
ly and impressively to a child the importance 
of eliminating the waste fluids and solids from 
the body is itself worth more than the price 
of the book. 

The canvasser would do well also to call at¬ 
tention to the subjects of the different 11 Parts ’ 9 
of Young Boy. The chapter headings can also 
be named if necessary. 

606. The following can also be used: I 
want to show you, Mrs. Smith, the prints of 
some of the different languages into which this 
book has been translated. Here is Japanese. 
In India this book has been translated into 
several languages. Here is Urdoo, one of the 
three Court Languages of India; here is Ben¬ 
gali, the language of Bengal. Here is Telegu, 
and as you will see, here is also Swedish, 
Dutch (the language of Holland), German, 
French, Spanish, Korean and other languages. 

When traveling Dr. Stall has met quite a 
number of persons who have translated his 
books for their own children. He has met 
three mothers in 'France alone who translated 
this book before it was published in that 
language for their own children. 

607. Supplemental Canvass.—For a sup¬ 
plemental canvass of 1 ‘What A Young Boy 
Ought To Know” the canvasser can call the 
attention of the parent to the character in 
which the origin of life is explained in Part 
First, from Page 43 to 86. 

First, the author shows the difference be- 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG BOY. 


231 


tween creating and making. When God cre¬ 
ates He makes something out of nothing. When 
we make a thing we simply take the materials 
which already exist, change their form and 
thus build a house, make a chair or something 
else. 

When God had finished the work of creation 
He gave to the plants, fishes and animals the 
power to perpetuate themselves. To man He 
gave a somewhat similar power by lifting them 
to the highest plane possible, by making them 
pro-creators, or creators in His stead. No 
higher, holier or more sacred office could have 
been given to mankind. 

After this the author explains plant life. 
The mamma nature and the papa nature, some¬ 
times present in the same flower, sometimes 
present in separate flowers on the same stalk, 
sometimes separated upon different stalks, and 
explains how the wind, the bees and insects 
carry the pollen from the papa plant to the 
mamma plant. 

Next he takes the oyster and shows how 
there is the mamma nature and the papa na¬ 
ture in the same body. Then he takes the 
fishes and shows that the seed of the plant and 
the roes of the fish are one and the same thing, 
or two different names for what is really the 
same. Then he takes the birds, shows their 
very beautiful and interesting life in a most 
enticing way to children. 

Then he takes the animals and shows how 
much more important are these higher forms 
of life, and how essential that the egg should 


232 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG BOY. 


not be destroyed while it is being unfolded 
and developed and therefore God has provided 
the nest in the body of the mother animal 
where this germ of life cannot be destroyed 
and where it ip unfolded and developed until 
able to live its own independent life in the 
outer world. 

You will see, Mrs. Jones, how beautifully 
this whole subject is unfolded, and without the 
slightest suggestion of evil to the most deli¬ 
cate mind. Indeed, we have never known of 
a child, it matters not how young, to whom 
this subject of the origin of life was explained 
in this delicate way who ever asked a single 
embarrassing question, or whose N curiosity was 
not fully satisfied'without a single further in¬ 
quiry. Indeed, it is the only right and proper 
and satisfactory way to answ'” a child’s ques¬ 
tions. 

The canvasser should also read the 4 4 Fore¬ 
word to Parents” in “What A Young Boy 
Ought To Know,” and by reading Part First 
from page 41 to 86, in the same book, he will 
have a fuller unfolding of the supplemental 
canvass which we have just narrated. 

The canvasser should also carefully read the 
little pamphlet entitled “Parental Honesty,” 
copies of which can be secured without cost 
by simply sending the amount of postage to 
pay carriage. These pamphlets can oftentimes 
be used effectively with mothers who think 
they have a boy or girl who has never thought 
of these things. By giving one of these pam¬ 
phlets to the parents, and having them prom- 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG BOY. 


233 


ise to read it, and then by calling back in a 
day or two a sale can very generally be ef¬ 
fected. It is not only a matter of sale, but it 
is also a matter of doing a misisonary work, 
opening the eyes of parents to the importance 
of properly safeguarding their children, and 
by this method the canvasser can oftentimes 
render a service which will result in the saving 
of a boy or girl. 

The idea in mind when preparing the pre¬ 
ceding canvass of “Young Boy” was its use 
by a man in canvassing a mother. When the 
canvasser is a woman she can use a somewhat 
different method to advantage. There are 
things which it might be proper for her to say 
which might not be becoming for a young man 
when canvassing the mother. The woman can¬ 
vasser can unfold more fully what is found in 
Part First of this book and also the subjects 
found in the different chapters of the book. 


234 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN . 


SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CANVASSING 
OF “YOUNG MAN.” 

608. This canvass is written to be sugges¬ 
tive to young men in canvassing young men. 
When women canvass young men they can 
slightly modify the following so as to adapt 
it to their use. Even a young man when can¬ 
vassing for this book can be more vigorous 
when talking to young men than when talk¬ 
ing to mothers or seeking to sell this book to 
the sister as a present for her brother. 

Good morning, is this Mr. Smith, my name 
is Jones. I am calling at the suggestion of 
your neighbor, Mr. Brown. I am very busy 
this morning, but if you can spare me a mo¬ 
ment, I must take the time to explain to you 
the great work which I am doing in this town 
among the young men. They are being inter¬ 
ested in large numbers and I am sure you will 
want to learn of this movement. (If it is in 
a store or shop, moving to one side, say, “We 
might step over here out of the way,” by this 
act you become his entertainer rather than his 
guest.) 

You appreciate, I am sure, the great difficul¬ 
ty and at the same time the tremendous im¬ 
portance of securing thoroughly reliable and 
accurate information upon the subject of the 
reproductive life. It is a subject which is of 
most vital importance to everybody, and yet 
people ordinarily know very little about it. 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN . 


235 


I find that pretty much every one I meet 
has heard of the Purity Books in the Self and 
Sex Series. Not many have ever had the op¬ 
portunity of seeing the books themselves, al¬ 
though they are advertised in nearly every 
prominent magazine. They are known the 
world over and have been translated into some 
fourteen different languages. 

Opening the case, say: This is the set of 
books, and the character of each you will un¬ 
derstand from the titles. The first is “What 
A Young Boy Ought To Know,” then “What 
A Young Man Ought To Know,” “What A 
Young Husband Ought To Know,” “What 
A Man of Forty-five Ought To Know.” These 
four books to men were written by Dr. Syl- 
vanus Stall. Then there is a corresponding 
series to girls and women entitled “What A 
Young Girl Ought To Know,” and “What A 
Young Woman Ought To Know,” written by 
Dr. Mary Wood-Allen, and “Wihat A Young 
Wife Ought To Know” and “What A Wo¬ 
man of Forty-five Ought To Know,” written 
by Dr. Emma F. A. Drake. Hold the case so 
he can read the names, repeat the titles slow¬ 
ly, and point to them as you repeat them. 

I presume this is the one you would prefer 
to look at first, “What A Young Man Ought 
To Know.” There are many things which a 
young man ought to know, but which it is 
pretty difficult for him to find out. There 
seems to be a pretty effective conspiracy of 
silence between parents, teachers, ministers 
and doctors for pretty much all leave young 


236 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN. 


people in ignorance to learn by sad experience 
through years of blind blundering. 

Here is the picture of Dr. Stall, the author 
of the books in the series to men. That he is 
a man with a message of real helpfulness to 
men is demonstrated by the fact that more 
than a million copies of these books in Eng¬ 
lish alone have been sold, and there is not a 
country on the globe where they are not known 
and read. Dr. Stall recognized the need for 
this information, and he has supplied it in 
language which anybody can understand. There 
are no incomprehensible medical terms, and 
no medical dictionary is needed in reading 
these books. Even the Secretary of the 
United States Navy has placed a copy of these 
books in the library of every United States 
gun-boat afloat. The Government wants its 
men to have nothing but the best and most 
reliable books upon these subjects. 

The medical teaching of these books has 
been endorsed by all the medical journals in 
this country and Great Britain. Dr. Eugene 
H. Porter, one of the most eminent medical 
men in New York State (see Commendations 
just in front of the author’s portrait), says: 
“As a medical man I heartily endorse the 
medical teachings of the book. It is a work 
which should be in the hands of every young 
man.” It is commended in similar terms by 
thousands of physicians everywhere. The 
physicians in every community are our most 
hearty supporters. 

John W. Philip, late Commodore of the 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN. 


237 


United States Navy, says: “This book im¬ 
presses me as a volume of serious importance 
and skilful handling of a delicate subject.’’ 

Here is Charles M. Sheldon, the author of 
“In His Steps” and various other books which 
have made him known the world around. Let 
me read you his commendation: “It is a pleas¬ 
ure to call attention,” etc. 

I haven’t time to call your attention to what 
each of these men say, but here is Rev. Francis 
E. Clarke, the founder of the Christian En¬ 
deavor Society; here is Frederick Anthony 
Atkins, the editor of “Young Man,” and one 
of the prominent figures of England; here is 
Rev. Dr. Clifford, who figures so prominently 
in every great political movement in England; 
here is Bishop McVickar, of Rhode Island; 
here is President Faunce, of Brown Univer¬ 
sity; John R. Mott, Chairman of the Execu¬ 
tive Committee of the Student Volunteer 
Movement; Gov. Vansant, of Minnesota; Dr. 
Warfield, President of Lafayette College; 
Frank W. Ober, the editor of the periodical 
published by the Young Men’s Christian As¬ 
sociation; Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman, the suc¬ 
cessor of Mr. Moody as the leading evangel¬ 
ist in this country; Dr. Andrews, Chancellor 
of the University of Nebraska, and Rev. Mr. 
Porter, assistant pastor to Dr. Hillis, of Ply¬ 
mouth Church, formerly served by Henry 
Ward Beecher in Brooklyn. I want to read 
you what he says: “In my opinion no other 
one man has done so great service to his fel- 
lowmen, even in all history, as Dr. Stall is 


238 CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN. 

doing through these books. They reach the 
very foundations of life on which all char¬ 
acter is built.’’ Nothing could possibly be 
stronger than that, could it, Mr. Smith? 

Here is William T. Stead, the editor of “The 
Review of Reviews,” one of the most promi¬ 
nent figures in England. He says: “It is ab¬ 
solutely necessary in the interest of future 
generations that indispensable information 
upon the most important of all subjects should 
be accessible to every one.” 

You see, Mr. Smith, that these men would 
not allow their names to be associated with 
anything unless it was of the very highest 
grade and of the utmost importance. 

Here is a condensed table of contents. This 
first chapter on “Equipment for Life” is of 
utmost importance. “This is the grandest 
period of the world in which to live,” it shows 
the great opportunities which are before every 
young man and how he is to meet them. In 
this chapter he shows clearly why thousands 
of weak men go down in the fierce struggle of 
life. As the author says, “the weak man is 
handicapped.” That’s true, is it not, Mr. 
Smith ? 

11 The reason why the weaker fail is because 
their competitors are physically stronger, and 
are able to accomplish more.” Let me ex¬ 
plain: “If a young man uses seventy-five per 
cent, of his energy every day running his body 
and has only twenty-five per cent, left to run 
his business, another man who uses up only 
fifty per cent, of his energy running his body 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN. 


239 


has got fifty per cent, left to run his business, 
and he ought to be able to do* twice as much 
business and earn twice as big a salary as the 
first fellow. That is clear, is it not? I am 
willing to pay for a book and so are you, Mr. 
Smith, that will teach us how to be stronger 
and able to earn more money.”—(J. S. K.) 

This second chapter treats of the reproduc¬ 
tive nature, and shows its relation to the phy¬ 
sical. This third chapter is on physical weak¬ 
ness, and the author treats it under the heads 
of “inherited weakness” and “acquired 
weakness.” In this chapter the author treats 
those subjects of “losses” which perplex so 
many young men and expose them to the 
thousands of quacks and impostors who prey 
upon mankind everywhere. Every man wants 
to understand these subjects, Mr. Smith, and 
Dr. Stall tells us the truth plainly and frankly. 
This chapter alone is worth the price of the 
book. 

In the chapters four, five and six on “evils 
to be shunned and consequences to be dread¬ 
ed,” Dr. Stall treats of the results of the dis¬ 
eases which accompany vice. No man, young 
or old, single or married can afford to be ig¬ 
norant of these subjects, can he, Mr. Smith? 
These diseases are wide-spread and no other 
diseases to which human flesh is heir are so 
terrible in their consequences, and yet there is 
no other subject so little understood as these 
very diseases. The advance of medical knowl¬ 
edge upon these very subjects during the last 
ten years has been wonderful. These chapters 


240 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN. 


are up to date and are reliable in every partic¬ 
ular. Dr. Neisser, the discoverer of the germ 
of gonorrhea, has given Dr. Stall’s work upon 
this subject the most unqualified commenda¬ 
tion. Even innocent and unoffending persons 
are oftentimes exposed to these diseases and 
every young man should be intelligent upon 
these subjects. Not only his own safety, but 
the well-being of his descendants depends upon 
it. So important are these subjects that the 
International Committee of the Young Men’s 
Christian Association in New York, sent ten 
thousand copies of these chapters for free dis¬ 
tribution by the Secretaries in India, China 
and Japan. 

I would like to read you from these differ¬ 
ent chapters, but neither of us have the time. 
If I began you wouldn’t want me to stop. No 
fiction was ever so interesting as this presen¬ 
tation of facts. Chapter seven is upon “the 
purpose and prostitution of the reproductive 
system.” This is a highly important chapter. 
Chapter eight deals with “the right relations 
to women.” Running over the rest of the 
chapters hastily you will see the character of 
the remainder of the book: “Marriage,” 
“Who Should Not Marry,” “The Selection of 
a Wife,” “Importance of Great Caution,” 
“Early and Late Marriage,” “Wfeddings,” 
“Hindrances To Be* Avoided,” “Helps To 
Be Used.” 

Mr. Smith, did you ever see a more compre¬ 
hensive, complete or satisfactory outline for a 
book to young men than that? If you could 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN. 


241 


see the piles of letters written by young men 
in every quarter of the globe to the author 
you would understand why this book has been 
welcomed in every land under the sun. 

At this point the canvasser should judge 
whether to seek to close the order, or to at¬ 
tempt to go forward and canvass for * 1 What 
A Young Husband Ought To Know” also. If 
he decides to go forward the following sug¬ 
gestions will be helpful. If the young man 
is under twenty years of age the canvasser 
should not attempt to sell him the book to 
Young Husbands; but with young men above 
twenty-one years of age he should not only 
seek to sell him “What A Young Husband 
Ought To Know,” but the entire series both 
to men and women. There is nothing in any 
of these books which a person of mature years 
may not read with perfect propriety. Even 
the set of books to boys and men may be read 
by young women of mature years, not only 
with perfect propriety, but with great advan¬ 
tage both to themselves, their husbands and 
their families; but no canvasser should seek 
to sell these books to minors. The book to 
boys and the book to girls should come into 
the hands of children through their own pa¬ 
rents, teachers, pastors, physicians or others. 

609. Going on with the canvass say: 

Now let me show you in just a moment the 
companion book “What A Young Husband 
Ought To Know.” I am not married and pos¬ 
sibly you are not married, but whether you are 
or whether you are not, you ought to have 

16 


242 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN. 


these two books. Every man of our age na¬ 
turally looks forward to marriage and he 
ought to be intelligent upon this matter, ought 
he not, Mr. Smith? 

This book is divided into three parts. First, 
what a young husband ought to know “con¬ 
cerning himself;” second, what he ought to 
know “concerning his wife” when she is a 
bride, when she becomes an expectant mother, 
and it tells just what he ought to know 
throughout all the months which precede and 
follow the advent of life into his family. The 
closing part is devoted to what he ought to 
know “concerning his children.’’ 

How much do you suppose, Mr. Smith, that 
most young men actually know upon these 
vital subjects? Practically nothing concern¬ 
ing their own physical life, and the physical 
life of woman. The average man knows very 
little about himself, and much less about the 
physical life of the woman whose guardian and 
defender and benefactor he becomes or is 
supposed to become. 

This book was written by the same author 
as the book to young men, and is endorsed by 
men equally eminent. Some ministers give a 
copy of “What A Young Husband Ought To 
Know” and “What A Young Wife Ought To 
Know” with every marriage certificate. As 
you will see, this book is also commended by 
the most eminent people in this country. 

Dr. Sheldon says: “ I hope this message may 
be used for the bettering of the homes of the 
world.” Rev. T\ B. Meyer, the great preacher 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN. 


243 


and devotional writer of London says: “I 
should like to see a wide and judicious distri¬ 
bution of this literature among Christian cir¬ 
cles.’ ’ Former Mayor Jones, of Toledo, so 
widely known throughout the United States, 
commends the books in a similar way. 

Edward Bok, the editor of the “Ladies’ 
Home Journal,” one of the leading periodicals 
of this country, which has a circulation of 
over a million copies monthly, says: “It is an 
honest little book and every young married 
man who reads it cannot fail to be helped by 
it and helped materially.” Here you will see 
the portraits of such eminent women as Mrs. 
Helen Campbell, Mrs. May Wright Sewall, Dr. 
Herrick Johnson, Bishop Vincent, Dr. Clarke, 
Josiah Strong and others. 

But, Mr. Smith, I want to call your especial 
attention to what some of the eminent physi¬ 
cians say. There is possibly no more emi¬ 
nent surgeon in the United States to-day than 
Dr. Howard A. Kelly, of Baltimore. Note 
what he says: “If the knowledge contained in 
it were more generally diffused many sad du¬ 
ties left to the physician would become unnec¬ 
essary. ’ ’ 

Dr. Bangs, also a very eminent surgeon of 
New York, says: “I have recommended it to 
a good many old as well as young husbands. ’ ’ 
He says also, “I shall continue to commend 
it, and also the other books of the series.” 

Dr. Boldt speaks of it in a similar way and 
Dr. Eugene H. Porter, another very eminent 
physician says: “This book should be in the 


244 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN. 


hands of every young man who contemplates 
marriage .’’ Note what he says here: “Hap¬ 
piness and health will be with those who heed 
its teachings.” Here are other eminent phy¬ 
sicians who commend it in similar terms. 

If you wish, Mr. Smith, I can write your 
order for this book in a separate list which I 
carry, for I occasionally find that young men 
do not like to have others know that they pur¬ 
chase this book, lest they might think that 
they are about to be married. The fact, how¬ 
ever, is that no man ought to wait until he is 
about to be married before reading this book. 
This and “What A Young Man Ought To 
Know” are two of the most important books 
in the series. I shall be delivering in this 
neighborhood in two weeks, or I can bring 
you your books earlier if you prefer. 

Thank you, Mr. Smith, I am sure that after 
reading them you will not be willing to sell 
your copies of these books at ten dollars each, 
if you could not purchase duplicates of them. 

610. Mr. Smith, like every other man of 
mature mind you ought also to have the cor¬ 
responding books, “What A Young Wbman 
Ought To Know,” and “What A Young Wife 
Ought To Know.” Let me show you these 
books. Here they are. Running rapidly over 
the tables of contents of “What A Young Wo¬ 
man Ought To Know” and then “What A 
Young Wife Ought To Know.” 

I sell more of these four books than of any 
other books in the set. It is perfectly natural 
and right for every pure-minded man to know 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN. 


245 


about the opposite sex. Indeed, it is his duty, 
as he is at all times to be their guardian and 
defender. Is it not true, Mr. Smith, he stands 
as the defender, not only of his own mother 
and sister, but he is to be the guardian and 
defender of his wife and of his daughters. The 
desire for information upon these subjects is 
not only proper, but laudable, and these books 
fully satisfy the mind of every man whose mo¬ 
tives are pure and right in seeking informa¬ 
tion. Indeed, this is the right way to secure 
the information and not by a resort to vicious 
practices as is frequently so common. 

If your customer commits himself to the 
purchase of the four books, and his interest 
warrants and you deem it best, you may pro¬ 
ceed with your canvass by saying: 

“Mr. Jones, why not take the entire set and 
understand the whole subject from beginning 
to end. These books are written very much in 
the order of an educational series, and the 
book to young boys is as interesting as any of 
them, and this last book in the series, “What 
A Man of Forty-five Ought To Know,” con¬ 
tains information of eminent importance to 
every man. Pretty much every man knows 
that there is a period of physical change in the 
life of woman, but very few men know that 
there is a change in the physical life of man. 
Together a husband and wife constitute the 
reproductive unit, and it is only natural to ex¬ 
pect corresponding changes in both parts of 
this unity. This is the only book written upon 
the changes which take place in the physical 


246 CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN. 

life of man at middle life and beyond. This 
book was most heartily welcomed by the entire 
medical press, and it has been generally pro¬ 
nounced a most wonderful book upon this sub¬ 
ject. 

The price of these books, Mr. Smith, is 
printed on the title page. They are $1.00 per 
copy, and they cannot be bought anywhere for 
less. I take quite a great many orders for 
full sets, as you will see by my subscription 
book. If you prefer I can deliver you a couple 
of copies in a day or two, and the remainder 
of the set in the course of a month or six 
weeks when I am making my other delivery, 
or possibly you are like most of my custom¬ 
ers who want their books right away. If so, 
I can accommodate you, or I can deliver them 
later as you prefer. 

Isn’t it strange, Mr. Smith, that most peo¬ 
ple know more about anything and everything 
than they do about themselves? Farmers will 
frequently do everything they can to improve 
the breed of their sheep and hogs and cattle, 
and never give a single thought or considera¬ 
tion to the improvement of their own descen¬ 
dants. By intelligence, such as these books 
are intended to impart, a man may do more 
for his children by proper forethought than 
he can by spending thousands of dollars after 
they have been born and grown up. The au¬ 
thors of these books are not only benefactors 
to the persons who read these books, but to 
their descendants and they lift the standard 
of life and being of a whole nation. Next to 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG MAN . 


247 


your Bible you cannot own a more important 
set of books than these, Mr. Smith. 

Thank you, Mr. Smith, you will never regret 
the investment of these eight dollars. If you 
read these books thoughtfully, you will be 
deeply impressed by the information they im¬ 
part, and in later years I am sure that you 
will say that instead of being worth to you 
eight dollars they have been worth that many 
hundreds, or perhaps thousands of dollars. 
There isn’t a more important study to man 
than man himself, and upon these subjects no 
better books than these were ever written. 

Mr. Smith, can you kindly give me the 
names of some young men whom you think 
ought to be interested in placing an entire set 
of these books in their library? Or even 
young men who ought to purchase a copy of 
“What A Young Man Ought To Know.” I 
should be glad to call upon them. I will not 
use your name unless you are perfectly willing 
that I should do so. 

After persons have subscribed as a rule you 
will find them quite willing to co-operate with 
you in enlisting the interest and securing the 
subscription of their personal friends. 


248 CANVASS FOR YOUNG HUSBAND. 


CANVASS FOR “YOUNG HUSBAND.’’ 

611. For manner of approach, salutation, 
etc., in this canvass the reader is referred to 
the suggestions upon these points in “ Young 
Boy,” “Young Man,” and the “General Can¬ 
vass,” and also in “Young Girl” and 
“Young Woman.” 

The canvasser should also remember that 
this book is designed not only for men re¬ 
cently married and for those intending soon 
to marry, or at least who are of marriage¬ 
able age, but also to those who have been 
married even for a long time. Many homes 
are unhappy for the lack of the information 
which this book contains. Every man of ma¬ 
ture years, whether a young husband or an old 
husband, or no husband at all, needs the in¬ 
formation found within these pages. 

612. Good morning, Mr. Smith, I am ex¬ 
ceedingly busy this morning, but if you will 
spare me a few moments of your time I would 
like to talk with you upon a subject of very 
vital importance. There is scarcely an intelli¬ 
gent person whom I meet who has not heard 
something of the great work in which I am 
engaged. Every person is interested, or should 
be interested, in his own physical well-being 
and the well-being of his family, and yet, Mr. 
Smith, I meet very few men who really know 
anything concerning that department of their 
physical being which after all constitutes the 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG HUSBAND. 249 


very center of our life and being. Isn’t that 
true, Mr. Smith? 

I want to talk to you, Mr. Smith, about the 
reproductive nature. You know that when the 
Creator took His own infinite power to create 
and made the husband and wife the reproduc¬ 
tive unit, He gathered about the relations of 
husband and wife, parent and child, brother 
and sister, the tenderest and most sacred re¬ 
lations of human life. He took His own 
power to create and made the husband and 
wife, pro-creators, or creators in His stead. 
Dor centuries the densest ignorance and the 
grossest vice have gathered about this subject. 
The only complete set of books ever written 
upon this subject for lay people which has se¬ 
cured the universal endorsement of physicians, 
educators, intelligent men and women every¬ 
where is Dr. Stall’s four books to men, and 
the four books to women by Dr. Wood-Alien 
and Dr. Drake. 

(Opening the case and presenting the backs 
of the books to view.) There is a set of books, 
Mr. Smith, which has secured the universal 
commendation of intelligent and good people 
in every country on the globe. They have 
been translated into some fourteen different 
languages and are known in every land on the 
globe. 

The scope of this set of books, Mr. Smith, 
you will gather from the titles of the books. 
The books in the series to men are, “What A 
Young Boy Ought To Know,” “What A 
Young Man Ought To Know,” “What A 


250 CANVASS FOR YOUNG HUSBAND. 


Young Husband Ought To Know” and “What 
A Man of Forty-five Ought To Know,” and 
there is a similar series, as you will see here, 
to women. I want to call your special atten¬ 
tion, Mr. Smith, to this book entitled “Wliat 
A Young Husband Ought To Know.” It tells 
not only what a young husband ought to know, 
but what every husband, young or old, ought 
to know, and what every man of mature years 
ought to know. Hundreds of homes where un¬ 
happiness reigns to-day might have been happy 
from the beginning if the husband had had the 
information contained in this valuable book, 
and hundreds of unhappy men have found in 
this book the solution of their difficulties. 

I want to show you, Mr. Smith, the portrait 
of the author of this set of books. Probably 
not less than six millions of people in the 
United States of America have read one or 
other of this series of books. No other books 
on these subjects ever written have been so 
widely read, so universally commended and 
exerted such a far-reaching influence. Did 
you ever know of any other set of books, Mr. 
Smith, concerning which that could be truth¬ 
fully said? 

This is not my own statement, but that you 
may see, Mr. Smith, what some of the most 
eminent people in the world say, I must take 
just a moment to show you the portraits and 
a single sentence of commendation by a few 
of each of these eminent people. The can¬ 
vasser should now introduce the commenda¬ 
tions after the manner suggested in Paragraph 
609. 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG HUSBAND. 251 


Mr. Smith, with your permission I would 
like to read you just a sentence or two from 
the author’s preface (page xxi, ten lines): 
“To many marriage is not the source of bless¬ 
ing, etc.the most ruinous cost.” 

This book is divided into three parts. First, 
what a husband ought to know concerning 
himself. Just notice, Mr. Smith, if you will, 
the contents of these chapters. The first chap¬ 
ter is in reference to the information the man 
ought to have concerning himself and his re¬ 
lation to marriage. I wish I had time to call 
your attention to each of the subjects treated 
in this important chapter. The next two chap¬ 
ters are upon the differences of sex. Men and 
women differ not only physically, but intellec¬ 
tually, socially and in every other way, and 
where these differences are not comprehended 
and intelligently understood, differences, dis¬ 
satisfactions and dissension are sure to fol¬ 
low. Isn’t that so, Mr. Smith? The fourth 
chapter is on the “Essentials in Husband and 
Home,” and then the author takes up the 
most delicate subjects of “The Physical Cost 
of Pro-creation,” “Marital Moderation,” 
“Defects and Deficiencies,” “Purity and Fi¬ 
delity. ’ ’ 

How many men do you think, Mr. Smith, 
understand themselves and how very, very 
few understand anything concerning their 
wives. In this “part second” the author first 
treats of “The Bride,” secondly “The Young 
Wife and Motherhood,” and all the questions 
which relate to the mystery of conception, and 


252 CANVASS FOR YOUNG HUSBAND. 


the unfolding of human life. Each of the 
stages of development from month to month 
are fully noted and explained with full in¬ 
structions for the care of the mother, the safe¬ 
guarding of the life of the child, together with 
all the changes which precede, attend and fol¬ 
low the birth of the child, and Chapter Six¬ 
teen is devoted to the question of birth. 

“Part Third’’ is devoted to what a hus¬ 
band ought to know concerning his children. 
That is an important subject, is it not, Mr. 
Smith? The question of “Heredity.” Note 
here what the author says in this table of con¬ 
tents. “The education of a child begins twen¬ 
ty years before it is born.” Every intelligent 
man understands that when you talk of horses 
and cattle, but when we talk of human beings 
and of our own descendants how few under¬ 
stand anything upon this subject. Isn’t that 
true, Mr. Smith? People know more about the 
strains of chickens and the breeds of dogs than 
they do about human heredity. Here is a 
chapter on “Prenatal Influences,” also one on 
“Childhood.” 

Did you ever see a more comprehensive and 
complete outline for a book to husbands than 
that, Mr. Smith ? ' Is it any wonder that a 
book like that should have won its way around 
the globe? 

If Mr. Smith is interested try and close the 
order for a copy of this book. If not yet suf¬ 
ficiently interested, call his attention to other 
features suggested by the other canvasses. 
After securing his order continue to canvass 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG HUSBAND. 253 


with a view to securing his subscription for 
additional books, or for the entire series. Do 
not be put off by men who have been married 
some years by the suggestion that they do not 
need such a book. Call their attention to 
different subjects in the book which will con¬ 
vince them at once that the book is packed 
with information concerning which they can¬ 
not afford to be uninformed and ignorant. 


254 CANVASS—MAN OF FORTY-FIVE. 


CANVASS FOR “MAN OF FORTY-FIVE.” 

613. Mr. Smith, men at forty-five are apt 
to think that they know about all that can be 
known upon the subjects treated in this series. 
The fact, however, is that I scarcely ever meet 
a man who is intelligent upon the subjects 
most important to him at that particular pe¬ 
riod of life. All men know that there are 
marked changes that take place in the physi¬ 
cal life of woman at about forty to fifty years 
of age, but I seldom meet a man who under¬ 
stands the nature and extent of the changes 
which occur in the physical life of man. Men 
are as ignorant of the recessional of middle 
life as boys at fourteen are of the processional 
of physical vigor. The changes which take 
place in men of forty-five are as little under¬ 
stood by men as the physical changes which 
take place in the unfolding life of a boy who 
passes from boyhood to manhood. The lack 
of this knowledge makes men of middle life 
such a mystery to themselves. 

If the canvasser has not presented the other 
books in the series to Mr. Smith, he might 
then call attention to the portraits and com¬ 
mendations in the front of the book and also 
to the valuable press notices especially those 
from the medical papers and the prints of for¬ 
eign translation. 

Mr. Smith, this book is divided into two 
parts. The first part treats of what a man of 


CANVASS—MAN OF FORTY-FIVE. 255 


forty-five ought to know concerning himself, 
and the second part treats of what he ought 
to know concerning his wife. Notice the sub¬ 
jects of these chapters: “The Physical 
Changes in Men of Middle Life.” This first 
chapter shows how human life is divided into 
periods of seven years. Ten of these periods 
make the “three score and ten” mentioned in 
tjhe Bible, and the closing part of this 
chapter explains the reasons for the 
changes in the physical life of man. 
Chapter Two is devoted to the evidences 
of these changes and explains many of the 
conditions which men oftentimes take as an 
evidence that the virile power of men con¬ 
tinues uninterruptedly until very advanced 
life. Chapter Three is devoted to the mani¬ 
festations of these changes in middle life, and 
Chapter Four gives the testimony of medical 
men upon this subject. Chapter drive is upon 
compensation, and notice the subjects of the 
other chapters as I read them over hastily: 
* ‘ Moderation Enjoined, ” “ Moderation Empha¬ 
sized,” “Virility—How Destroyed, How Pre¬ 
served,” “Functional Disorders,” “Enlarge¬ 
ment of the Prostate,” “The Marriage of 
Men of Middle Life,” “The Years Beyond.” 

Now, Mr. Smith, here the author takes up 
Part Second. What A Man of Forty-five 
Ought To Know Concerning His Wife. You 
know as a matter of fact, Mr. Smith, that 
many families go to pieces at the time the hus¬ 
band and wife approach forty and fifty years 
of age. This is easily explained and the author 


256 CANVASS-—MAN OF FORTY-FIVE. 


sets it forth here in the “repellent periods’’ 
of which this is the most marked in human 
life. In Chapter Fourteen he takes up the 
change of life in woman. At this period wo¬ 
men are not only a mystery to themselves but 
oftentimes a mystery to their husbands, and it 
is a husband’s duty to understand his wife, 
know how to sympathize with her and how 
best to adapt himself to the changed condition 
which is taking place in his family. His wife 
is one part of the reproductive unit and he is 
the other part, and it is essential that he should 
understand both himself and his wife. Ig¬ 
norance upon these subjects leads to injustice, 
misunderstanding, alienations, estrangement 
and oftentimes to separation and divorce. 
Thousands of families would have been spared 
to enjoy peace and blessing if the husband 
had simply had the information which this 
book contains. 

Note, Mr. Smith, the contents of the closing 
chapter. “How to Meet the Menopause or 
Change of Life,” “Manifestations of the 
Menopause,” “Attendant Physical Changes.” 
This is a most interesting chapter, Mr. Smith, 
and every husband ought to understand it 
thoroughly, and this last chapter is on the 
mental manifestations which are also of ut¬ 
most importance to every person of middle 
life. Do you know, Mr. Smith, as a matter of 
fact the mortality tables show a larger death 
rate among men than among women, between 
the ages of forty and fifty (Page 238). This 
book sets forth all this information in the 


CAXVASS—MAY OF FORTY-FIVE. 257 


fullest and most satisfactory way. Indeed, 
this book has been pronounced by many per¬ 
sons as possibly the most valuable book in the 
series and some have pronounced it the best 
thing that Dr. Stall ever wrote. One thing is 
certain there has never been another book 
written along this line and Dr. Stall has done 
this work so well that no one will ever need to 
'write another book upon this subject for lay¬ 
men. The medical papers have pronounced it 
one of the finest books ever written upon the 
subject of reproduction and the only book de¬ 
voted to these important subjects of middle 
life. It is a key not only to the mysteries 
in each, but in every home, and no man can 
approach this period of life ignorant of the 
important subjects treated in this book. I 
shall be delivering books in this neighborhood 
in a day or two, Mr. Smith, and can bring 
your book at that time or I can defer its deliv¬ 
ery until two weeks when I will be making my 
second delivery in this neighborhood. Thank 
you, Mr. Smith, I knew you would appreciate 
such a valuable book as this. No man can 
afford to be without this information, can they, 
Mr. Smith? 

It might be well also to canvass Mr. Smith 
for a book, “Woman of Forty-five” for his 
wife. That book is especially adapted to wc*- 
men while the part second of “Man of Forty- 
five” is especially adapted to make husbands 
intelligent with regard to the changes in the 
physical life of woman. 


17 



258 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


“GENERAL CANVASS’’ FOR THE EN¬ 
TIRE SERIES. 

614. Approaching the house with a deep 
sense of the universal need for these books and 
of their great value, ring the bell with a 
consciousness of your important mission. Be 
more than hopeful, be confident. Expect not 
only to get in but to make sale of the entire 
series. Let the dignity of your work, your 
hopefulness and confidence beam in your face. 
Step back a couple of feet, face the door and, 
when it is opened, smiling pleasantly, raise 
your hat, saying: 

I am calling upon the intelligent people in 
the community and explaining to them a cam¬ 
paign in the interest of social and personal 
purity. This movement is fostered and furth¬ 
ered by the pastors of all the churches in the 
city, and with your permission, I will step in. 
At the same time move forward confidently to 
enter, picking up your case from the side of 
the door as you pass in. Dispense with your 
hat, in the hall or in some convenient place. 
Step into the parlor, or into the kitchen, ac¬ 
cording to circumstances. You will always 
be welcomed in the kitchen by plain people 
if you know how, by word or act, to make 
them feel that you are not “proud or stuck 
up. ” Be at ease whether in a palace or a 
hovel. 

Mrs. Smith, usually the persons who have 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


259 


been engaged in the work of personal and so¬ 
cial purity have come to distribute tracts and 
leaflets. The pastors of the churches and all 
who are interested in this great work have 
found it necessary to give this movement a 
more positive and permanent form, and to this 
end I want to show you the commendation of 
the pastors of the churches of your city. That 
is a strong endorsement, is it not, Mrs. Smith ? 

You will see from this commendation that I 
am coming to you with their desire that you 
should give this matter thoughtful consider¬ 
ation. Tracts and pamphlets have been found 
ineffectual and therefore this great personal 
and social purity crusade is being prosecuted 
in this city, not with pamphlets, but with 
books (opening the case). You have, of course, 
Mrs. Smith, heard of this set of books. They 
have been commended by the eminent and 
good in every community. Many thousands of 
dollars are spent each year in making them 
known through the magazines and periodicals 
to the intelligent of every community and of 
every land. Indeed, there is not a country on 
the globe to-day where these books are not 
known and read. They have already been 
translated into fourteen different languages, 
and between one and two million copies of 
the English edition alone have already been 
sold. 

They make a fine appearance, do they not, 
Mrs. Smith? You will notice how compre¬ 
hensive this series of books is. The first one 
is “What A Young Boy Ought To Know,” 


260 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


then “What A Young Man Ought To Know;” 
the next is “What A Young Husband Ought 
To Know” and “What A Man of Forty-five 
Ought To Know.” These are all written by 
Dr. Sylvanus Stall, and the corresponding se¬ 
ries to women were written by Mrs. Dr. Mary 
Wood-Alien, a woman of international repu¬ 
tation. A woman who is not only a prominent 
physician, but an intimate friend of Frances 
E. Willard while she lived, and Lady Henry 
Somerset and women of similar prominence. 
Mrs. Wood-Alien wrote “What A Young Girl 
Ought To Know” and “What A Young Wo¬ 
man Ought To Know.” Then the two later 
books in the series are written by Mrs. Dr. 
Emma F. A. Drake, a physician of prominence 
and experience who was associated with Mr. 
Moody in his work at Northfield, and who is 
also influential in the Woman’s Christian Tem¬ 
perance Union. She wrote “What A Young 
Wife Ought To Know” and “What A Woman 
of Forty-five Ought To Know.” 

If it is a man you are canvassing for the 
whole set begin by showing him the books in 
the series to men. If it is a woman then it 
may be best to begin by showing her the books 
in the series to women, begin with “Young 
Girl.” 

615. Mr. Smith (or Mrs. Smith) first of all 
I want to show you this book, “What A Young 
Boy Ought To Know.” This is the first book 
in the set to boys and men, addressed to those 
in the four great periods of life. 

These books are written in the form of an 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


261 


educational series. The first contains the foun¬ 
dational principles which all intelligent per¬ 
sons should understand. It sets forth the 
great principles displayed by the Creator in 
perpetuating plants, animals and man. It is 
no less interesting to a grown person than to a 
boy. This book can be placed in the hands of 
a boy, and for that purpose is made complete 
in itself. But when a young man or a young 
woman reads the second book in the series it is 
to be supposed that they already understand 
the teachings of the earlier book, and the same 
is true of the book to young husbands and 
young wives and to persons of forty-five. In¬ 
deed, each person of mature years ought to 
read the entire series including this book of 
forty-five, long years before they reach that 
age. 

Here is a portrait of Dr. Stall, the author of 
che four books in this series to men. The need 
of just such a book as this was impressed upon 
his mind and heart when but fourteen years 
of age. Eighteen years later he covenanted to 
write a book to young men, and eighteen years 
again passed by before he began this work. 
His entire life was largely a matter of prepar¬ 
ation for this great life work. 

Turn rapidly to the portraits of Dr. Cuyler 
riDd others reading short extracts from their 
commendations the same as shown in para¬ 
graph 600. Here is Dr. Cuyler, the eminent 
devotional writer of Brooklyn. He says: 
“This book ought to be in every home where 
there is a boy. ,, 


262 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


Dr. Thompson, formerly moderator of the 
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, 
says: “It is indeed what boys ought to know 
—the failure to know which has been the cause 
of many sorrows and pains and penalties. ” 
Note also what he says here: “Why was not 
this book written centuries ago?” 

Mr. Edward Bok, editor of “The Ladies’ 
Home Journal,” says: “Other books have told 
other things, but you have compassed the 
whole subject.” 

Dr. Josiah Strong, the great preacher, says: 
“A foolish and culpable silence on the part 
of most parents leaves their children to learn 
too often from vicious companions sacred 
truths in an unhallowed way.” That is only 
too true, isn’t it, Mrs. Smith? 

Thousands of boys and girls are annually 
mined because their parents do not know how 
to tell them sacred truths in a proper way. 
This book was written to enable parents to 
know how to perform this very delicate task. 
Where the child is old enough to read for him¬ 
self, if the parent thinks best, he may place 
the book in the hands of the boy, or he may 
read it to him, or tell it to him in his own way, 
as the parent sees' fit. These books designed 
for persons in different periods of life are in 
separate volumes. If all that is written in 
these four books to men were printed in a 
single volume you could not place this in the 
hands of your boy and tell him to read just so 
far and no further. He would be likely to 
read the prohibited parts first. The same is 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


263 


true also with the book to young men, and 
with each of the books in this series. But at 
the same time a young man would have a bet¬ 
ter understanding of the entire subject if he 
were first to read the book to young boys, and 
then to young men; and a young husband 
would have a fuller understanding of the en¬ 
tire subject if he were also to begin with the 
book, “What A Young Boy Ought To Know ,” 
then read “What A Young Man Ought To 
Know,” and then “What A Young Husband 
Ought To Know,” and every man ought also 
as soon as he comes to mature years to under¬ 
stand those changes in the physical life of man 
which take place in middle life the same as the 
changes in the physical life of woman. This 
is all told in this book to men of forty-five. 

616. This second book in the series, “What 
A Young Man Ought To Know,” presents the 
importance of a strong physical equipment 
for life and treats of the influences which un¬ 
dermine and ruin so many young men. 

This book, also, Mr. Smith, is commended by 
very eminent persons like the late Commodore 
John W. Philip, Rev. Dr. F. B. Meyer, the emi¬ 
nent London author and preacher, Rev. Dr. 
Francis E. Clark, the founder of the Christian 
Endeavor Society; Bishop McVickar, of Rhode 
Island, and all these others. If necessary read 
brief extracts from some of these commenda¬ 
tions. See also paragraph 608. 

Turning to table of contents, Chapter first 
is on “Equipment for Life.” Mr. Smith, 
how important it is that a young man should 


264 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


be well equipped for his struggles. If he is 
weak physically, he is likely to go down in 
life’s fierce struggle. 

This second chapter tells what an awfully 
hard struggle some young men have to be pure 
minded. Chapter third tells of “ Physical 
Weakness” and treats it under the heads of 
<i inherited weakness” and “acquired weak¬ 
ness” and explains many of the things which 
are a constant perplexity to every young man 
until he comes to know himself. 

Here are three chapters on “ Evils to be 
shunned and consequences to be dreaded. ’ 9 (If 
you are canvassing a man something further 
may be said upon these chapters and also 
upon chapter seven). Chapter eight is on the 
“Right relation to women.” Then follows 
chapters upon the subject of “Marriage,” 
“Who should not marry,” “The selection of a 
wife,” “Importance of great caution,” 
“Early and late marriages,” “Hindrances to 
be avoided” and “Helps to be used.” That 
is a very comprehensive outline, is it not, Mr. 
Smith? No young man can possibly afford to 
be without a copy of this book, and no man 
who realizes the difficulties and dangers of 
young men can do a grander work than pur¬ 
chase a few copies of these books and keep 
them in circulation among young men of his 
acquaintance or of his Sunday-school class, the 
men in his shop, or store, or office. The same 
is true with each book in the series. Mr. 
Smith, the man who has this set of books in his 
library has the means of becoming a public 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


265 


benefactor to every person in the community. 
I meet hundreds of people who would like to 
read these books, but who do not have the 
money to purchase. No library is complete 
without them, and no man who can afford to 
purchase a set could have a grander means of 
blessing to his fellow men than by loaning 
these books to his neighbors and acquaintances. 

617. This third volume is “What A Young 
Husband Ought To Know.” It is written not 
only for young husbands, but for older hus¬ 
bands also. First, it tells the young husband 
what he ought to know concerning himself in 
his new relation in life. Then it tells him 
what he ought to know concerning his wife, 
first as his companion, as his bride and as his 
wife. Third, what he ought to know concern¬ 
ing his children. 

Call attention to the portraits and commen¬ 
dations, run hastily over the titles of the dif¬ 
ferent chapters in the tables of contents. Fa¬ 
miliarity with the fuller canvass suggested for 
the Young Husband book may be helpful but 
be careful not to make the canvass too long. 

Some clergymen give a copy of this book and 
of “What A Young Wife Ought To Know” 
with each marriage certificate. A good plan, 
is it not, Mr. Smith? 

Dr. Kelly, the eminent surgeon of Balti¬ 
more, has well summed up the whole matter in 
his commendation. He says: “If the knowl¬ 
edge contained in this book was more gen¬ 
erally diffused many sad duties left to the phy¬ 
sician would become unnecessary.” 


266 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


618. Mr. Smith, this fourth book in the 
series to men is also one of vital importance, 
“What A Man of Forty-five Ought To 
Know.” Some have pronounced it equal to, 
if not the best book in the series. Very few 
men understand the changes in the physical 
life of man. They know something of the 
changes in the physical life of woman, but 
they do not know that as there is a proces¬ 
sional in the physical development of the 
boy, so there is a recessional in the 
physical life of the man at middle age. 
This is the only book upon this subject ever 
published, and it won for its author the most 
hearty and universal commendation of the 
entire medical press of the United States and 
Great Britain. No man can understand him¬ 
self and other men without knowing the con¬ 
tents of this book, and even young men ought 
to read it in order to understand how to look 
forward and how to prepare for the later years 
of life. 

619. Now, Mr. Smith, here is the corres¬ 
ponding series to girls and women. “What 
A Young Girl Ought To Know,” “What A 
Young Woman Ought To Know,” “What A 
Young Wife Ought To Know” and “What A 
Woman of Forty-five Ought To Know.” These 
books are written for the different periods in 
the life of woman the same as the books I 
have just shown you are adapted to the dif¬ 
ferent periods in the lives of men. These first 
two were written by Dr. Mary Wood-Alien, a 
very eminent writer, and the second two by 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


267 


Dr. Emma F. A. Drake, also an eminent wo¬ 
man physician, and these books are just as 
important to the female members of the fam¬ 
ily as these others are to the male members of 
the family. Indeed, there is nothing in this 
series of books to women which any person of 
mature years ought not to know. Truly, 
every man ought also not only to read the en¬ 
tire series to men, but the entire series 
to women. But they are divided into differ¬ 
ent volumes so that that which is suited to 
the needs of a young girl can be given to her; 
or that which is suited to the needs of a young 
boy, or a young man, or a young woman—ac¬ 
cording to circumstances. 

But persons of mature years ought to know 
all that this entire series of books contains. 
They are the only books of their kind in the 
world, and they have been commended by emi¬ 
nent men and women and also by the pulpit 
and the press of both continents. I am sure, 
Mr. Smith, you appreciate the value of just 
such a series of books as these. When you 
were a young man you often felt the need of 
just such knowledge in a plain, intelligent 
way, did you not, Mr. Smith? No home is 
complete without these books and no father or 
mother can afford to have their children grow 
up ignorant of their contents. They are not 
books that need to be concealed, but may be 
placed on your library shelves, or on your li¬ 
brary table if you see fit to do so. Many par¬ 
ents purchase them and leave them where their 
children will be sure to come in contact with 


268 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


them. They prefer that their children should 
have an honest answer to all proper questions, 
rather than to seek to gratify their curiosity 
by inquiring of ignorant and impure persons. 

620. They are uniformly bound in this fine 
satin finished cloth, stamped in gold and the 
price is printed on the title page so there 
can be no mistake with regard to it. These 
books cannot be bought anywhere on earth 
for less than $1.00 per copy. I am taking 
the orders and can deliver the books to you in 
a day or two, or when I make my general de¬ 
livery, in the course of a couple of weeks. 
Thank you, Mr. Smith, I knew you would ap¬ 
preciate such a set of books as these. Write 
your name on this line. Now that you have 
decided to take these books, Mr. Smith, I 
want to say to you that you never invested 
$8.00 in your life which will bring you a larger 
return in satisfaction and information than 
you will find in this series of books. I shall 
be glad to have you use your influence with 
your friends and acquaintances so that they 
may purchase copies of the books also. 

621. If, instead of canvassing Mr. Smith, 
you should be canvassing Mrs. Smith, then be¬ 
gin with the young girl book. Canvass her 
thoroughly for the books in the series to wo¬ 
men and then run hastily over the books in the 
series to boys and men, much abbreviating the 
foregoing canvass and adapting to the intelli¬ 
gence, temperament and conditions of Mrs. 
Smith. 

In order not to burden the mind of the can- 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


269 


vasser, he is referred to the special canvasses 
on “ Young Girl,” “Young Woman,” * 1 Young 
Wife” and “Woman of Forty-five,” from 
which he can readily make up his canvass for 
Mrs. Smith on the entire series. 

622. If Mr. Smith should hesitate call his 
attention to the pages showing the different 
languages into which the books have been 
translated. Call his attention to the splendid 
manner in which the books are selling. Show 
him the names of many of the intelligent peo¬ 
ple who have subscribed. “Here is Mr. Jones, 
he takes the entire series. Here is Mr. Brown, 
he takes the entire series to men. Mrs. Rob¬ 
erts takes copies of “What A Young Boy 
Ought To Know” and “What A Young Girl 
Ought To Know” for her children. Mrs. Henry 
takes a copy of “What A Young Man Ought 
To Know” for her son who is away at school, 
and also a copy of “What A Young Woman 
Ought To Know” for her daughter, who is 
away at a young lady’s boarding school. That 
is a splendid thing to do, is it not, Mr. Smith? 
Young people at home are exposed to many 
temptations and dangers, and those away from 
home are oftentimes exposed even more. You 
see, Mr. Smith, how highly these people in this 
list that I am showing you, prize our books. 
The fact is, they are worth their weight in 
gold. No family that can afford to buy bread 
can afford to be without copies of these books. 

If he falters still further, everything will 
depend upon your promptness and good judg¬ 
ment. Your reserve power may be displayed 


270 


A GENERAL CANVASS. 


in turning to the press notices printed on the 
closing pages. Urge upon him the importance 
of the fact that if he permits you to pass by 
without his subscription, the opportunity to 
purchase may never be presented to him again. 
If he is an intelligent man he is anxious to 
know about “this, that, and the other thing/’ 
but why should he be content to know little or 
nothing concerning himself. He has to keep 
company with himself, and has to be his own 
constant companion every hour of his life. 
There is no person, or thing beside on earth 
that he needs so much to understand as to un¬ 
derstand himself, and the great human family 
of which he is a part. 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG GIRL. 


271 


A CANVASS FOR YOUNG GIRL. 

< 

623. Using the forms of approach and ad¬ 
dress given in the preceding canvasses, after 
being seated in the home, the canvasser may 
proceed somewhat as follows: 

Mrs. Smith, I learned that you have a 
daughter by the name of Mary. How old is 
she, Mrs. Smith? I am prosecuting a cam¬ 
paign in this community—a campaign in the 
interests and for the safeguarding of the boys 
and the girls. It is fostered and furthered by 
the pastors of all the churches. Let me show 
you their commendations. (After reading 
commendation): That is fine, isn’t it, Mrs. 
Smith ? 

We are seeking to safeguard the boys and 
the girls, the young men and the young wo¬ 
men and to give a moral uplift to the entire 
community. These pastors are anxious that 
every parent should give this matter very 
thoughtful consideration. It is of vital im¬ 
portance not only to parents, but to their 
children. The safety of their children and 
the blessing of their home depends largely 
upon the way their children are safeguarded in 
the matter of personal and social purity. 

(Opening your case.) You have doubtless 
heard of the Purity Books in the Self and Sex 
Series, Mrs. Smith. Thousands of dollars have 
been spent annually in advertising them in the 
leading magazines and periodicals of the coun- 


272 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG GIRL. 


try. Hundreds of pastors have commended 
them from their pulpits to their people, mis¬ 
sionaries have translated them for their use 
among the heathen, and in every country on 
the globe these books are known and their 
value is recognized. Between one and two 
millions of copies have been sold in the Eng¬ 
lish language alone, and they have been trans¬ 
lated into some fourteen other languages. 

Let me show you the book for young girls, 
entitled “What A Young Girl Ought To 
Know. ’ ’ It is a suggestive title, is it not, Mrs. 
Smith? There are many things that a young 
girl ought to know, and there are very many 
things which she ought not to know, but which 
she is sure to come to know if this sacred in¬ 
formation is not imparted to her in the proper 
form. Mothers are kept from telling their 
daughters simply because they do not know 
how to present this subject in the best way. 
This book to young girls was written by an in¬ 
telligent Christian mother to point out to anx¬ 
ious mothers how to instruct their daughters 
upon these matters of such vital importance. 

Here is a portrait of Mrs. Dr. Wood-Alien. 
She has a noble face, hasn’t she, Mrs. Smith? 
She was not only superintendent of the Purity 
Department of the Woman’s Christian Tem¬ 
perance Union, but an intimate and personal 
friend of Frances E. Willard and Lady Henry 
Somerset. 

Here is what Miss Frances E. Wfillard, that 
noble Christian worker, says concerning this 
book: “I do most earnestly hope that these 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG GIRL. 


273 


books founded on a strictly scientific basis will 
be read by the dear girls in their teens.” 

Dr. Yeoman, the prominent Canadian Chris¬ 
tian Temperance worker, says: “These books 
constitute a contribution to preventive social 
purity literature for which the public may 
well be grateful.” That is a strong commen¬ 
dation, is it not, Mrs. Smith, from a physician? 

Mrs. Stevenson, the Corresponding Secre¬ 
tary of the Woman’s Christian Temperance 
Union, puts it this way: “As helpful as a 
breeze from the mountain top.” 

Mrs. Alden, the author of the Pansy books, 
says: “It is just the book needed to teach 
what most people do not know how to teach, 
being scientific yet simple and plain-spoken, 
yet delicate.” Isn’t that fine, Mrs. Smith, 
from so eminent an author? 

You see the portraits of these other eminent 
persons all commending this book in a similar 
way. 

Let me show you the table of contents, Mrs. 
Smith. Mrs. Wood-Allen takes up these chap¬ 
ters in the form of “twilight talks.” Each 
evening at twilight she gives the young girl 
an additional talk. In the most intelligent 
and yet in the most delicate way the author 
unfolds the perpetuity of the life of the plants, 
the flowers, the fishes, the birds and leads up 
to the origin of human life in the tenderest 
and most delicate way. You should read this 
book yourself, Mrs. Smith, and you will be 
persuaded that no other book could so deli¬ 
cately and sacredly present these important 

18 


274 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG GIRL. 


truths to the mind of a young girl. The au¬ 
thor is herself a Christian mother and knows 
how to safeguard the delicacy and purity of a 
young girl’s mind by making her intelligent. 
You know, Mrs. Smith, there is a difference 
between innocence and ignorance. 

Mrs. Smith, do you think there was any im¬ 
purity in the Creator’s mind when He created 
us as He did and gathered about the home the 
tender relations of husband and wife, parent 
and child, brother and sister? Certainly, you 
do not. Now, that is just the light in which 
this whole subject is presented in this series 
of books. It is just this kind of informa¬ 
tion that every young girl needs to have in or¬ 
der to safeguard her from the impurity of 
thought which she is sure to meet upon every 
hand. 

It makes me tremble, Mrs. Smith, when I 
think of what the boys and the girls have to 
encounter of evil in the schools and upon the 
'streets, and the great dangers to which they 
are exposed by evil upon every hand. The 
only way to displace this evil which they are 
sure to hear from older companions is for the 
parent to understand how to present these 
subjects in a sacred way, and thus to hold your 
child in confidence and in affection close to 
yourself. It is the universal testimony of pa¬ 
rents that nothing else draws the child so close 
to them as confidence between mother and 
daughter upon these sacred subjects. 

The same is true, Mrs. Smith, with regard 
to little boys and older boys in the family. 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG GIRL. 


275 


The mother who takes her boy into her con¬ 
fidence, for the first time finds out the true 
nobility and grandeur that there is in his char¬ 
acter and thought. These books to boys and 
girls teach parents how to accomplish this high 
and holy result, and there are many parents 
who would not take hundreds of dollars for 
what has been accomplished in their families 
by the outlay of a single dollar for one of 
these books. 

Mrs. Smith, some of the mothers and fath¬ 
ers to whom I show these books are so much 
interested that they quite insist upon having 
their books at once. If you wish yours I can 
bring them to you in the course of a day or 
so, or if it would be more convenient for you 
I can deliver them in a couple of weeks when 
I will be delivering in this neighborhood. 
Thank you, Mrs. Smith, write your name just 
here on this line. I will bring your books this 
afternoon when I am in this neighborhood, or 
to-morrow morning. 

624. How old did you say your daughter is, 
Mrs. Smith? Fourteen? Why, Mrs. Smith, 
you ought to have the next book in the series 
also. Your daughter will rapidly move for¬ 
ward toward womanhood, and this book, 
“Wjiat A Young Woman Ought To Know” is 
quite indispensable for you as her mother. By 
reading it you will be brought into that closer 
sympathy with the developing womanhood of 
your daughter, and be the better fitted to guide 
her in her thoughts and sympathies. One 
trouble, Mrs. Smith, is that we do not under- 


176 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG GIRL. 


stand and appreciate the thoughts and feel¬ 
ings of our boys and girls when they are de¬ 
veloping into manhood and womanhood. 

This book, “WJiat A Young Woman Ought 
To Know” is written by an intelligent, lov¬ 
ing and sympathetic mother and physician. 
I want to show you, Mrs. Smith, what Lady 
Henry Somerset, the President of the World's 
Woman's Christian Temperance Union, says 
of it: “It is an extremely valuable book." 

Here are the portraits and commendations 
of many eminent people. I can not refer to 
them all. Mrs. Dickinson, the editor of the 
King’s Daughters' Journal, says; “Any young 
woman knowing all that this volume teaches, 
has an essential foundation for whatever other 
knowledge she may acquire." 

Mrs. Carse, the founder of the Woman's 
Temple at Chicago, says: “It can but create 
a more reverent ideal of life in every girl who 
reads it." 

Mrs. Stephens, the successor to Frances E. 
Willard as President of the Woman's Christi¬ 
an Temperance Union, wrote this strong en¬ 
dorsement: “There is great need of carefully, 
delicately written books upon the subjects 
treated in this series. I am gratefully glad 
that the author has succeeded so well, and I 
trust great and enduring good will be the re¬ 
sult." 

Here are many other persons of great prom¬ 
inence whose portraits and commendations are 
given. I want to turn, Mrs. Smith, to the au¬ 
thor's preface. Listen to this, Mrs. Smith 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG GIRL. 


277 


(page 16): “The subjects treated in this lit¬ 
tle book are discussed because every one of 
them has been the subject of a query pro¬ 
pounded by some girl, otherwise intelligent 
and well informed.” 

Turning to the table of contents. “Mrs. 
Smith, the first chapter is on what a woman 
is worth to herself, what she is worth in the 
family and what she is worth to the community 
at large. This second chapter is on the “Care 
of the body. ’ * The third is upon 1 ‘ Food, ’ ’ and 
then you will notice the subjects of the other 
chapters: “ Sleep / 1 “ Breathing, ’ ’ “Hin¬ 
drances to Breathing,” “Added Injuries from 
Tight Clothing.” Here is a valuable chapter 
on the importance of proper exercise and bath¬ 
ing. 

In Part Second we have the more intimate 
questions relative to creative power and in 
chapter eleven, “Building Brains;” twelve, 
“You Are More Than Body and Mind” and so 
you will notice onward, special physiology, 
“Becoming a Woman,” and then the author 
treats of the subjects upon which every young 
woman ought to be thoroughly intelligent. 

In Part Third she deals with the question of 
the choice of a companion for life, and gives 
some of the wisest counsel that an intelligent, 
sympathetic, and careful mother could give. 
These are questions, Mrs. Smith, with which 
mothers so frequently fail. They recognize the 
importance of dealing with them, but they do 
not know just how to handle these subjects. 
This book was written to enable mothers to 


278 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG GIRL . 


meet these important questions in the very best 
way. Thank you, Mrs. Smith, I knew you 
would want this volume also. 

625. Before I leave, Mrs. Smith, I want to 
show you this third volume also in this series, 
“What A Young Wife Ought To Know.” This 
book is written not simply for those who are 
contemplating marriage, or who have just en¬ 
tered upon it, but also for those who have 
been many years in a home of their own. It 
throws a new light upon many subjects which 
have not been previously understood and 
which may have been the source of perplexity, 
embarrassment and possibly even of discord. 
This book is written by Mrs. Dr. Emma F. A. 
Drake, who was associate’d at one time with 
Mr. Moody in his work at Northfield. She is a 
woman of large experience as a physician, is 
herself the mother of three grown children, 
and is intensely interested in all questions 
which relate to home life. 

Here is the portrait of Mrs. Drake. A fine, 
motherly face, is it not, Mrs. Smith? You 
would expect an excellent book from her pen, 
and such this indeed is. 

The canvasser should show the portraits and 
commendations of eminent persons, lead the 
eye of the person being canvassed over the 
titles of some of the chapters and impress 
upon the mind of the customer the importance 
of having the entire series to woman at hand 
for constant reference. 

It would be well also to follow with some 
explanation concerning the book entitled 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG GIRL. 


279 


“What A Woman of Forty-five Ought To 
Know,” and secure a subscription not only 
for the women ’s books, but also for the men *s 
books in the series. 

In conducting the canvass upon “What A 
Young Wife Ought To Know” and “What A 
Woman of Forty-five Olight To Know,” pro¬ 
ceed after the manner indicated in the can¬ 
vasses for these separate books, only much 
more briefly. After your customer has come 
to a knowledge of the character of the books 
and the nature of their contents, it is not nec¬ 
essary to enlarge upon each particular book. 

The character of the series of books to boys 
and men can be gone over very rapidly after 
a customer has decided to purchase the books 
in the series to women, and thus secure an or¬ 
der for the complete set. 


280 CANVASS FOB YOUNG WOMAN. 


CANVASS FOR “YOUNG WOMAN.” 

626. When approaching the house and 
ringing the bell, if the mother should come to 
the door canvass her. There are times when a 
young woman comes to the door, and there are 
times also when the mother cannot be seen, 
and there are times when the canvasser may 
come direct to the young woman herself with 
a letter of introduction, or when referred to 
her by some personal friend of hers. At such 
a time the following would be suggestive and 
serviceable: 

After securing an entrance to the home, 
very much after the manner indicated in the 
preceding canvasses and after having disposed 
of your hat and secured a seat in the parlor, 
library or kitchen, you might say: 

“Miss Smith, I have been referred to you 
as one who would be interested in the move¬ 
ment which I represent. I am enlisting all the 
intelligent people in this community in a move¬ 
ment which is fostered and furthered by the 
pastors of all the churches and which they 
have commended from their pulpits. I also 
have here a letter of commendation with their 
autograph signatures. With your kind per¬ 
mission I would like to show it to you. Taking 
the commendation and holding it so she can 
follow your reading and see the signatures, 
speak deliberately and impressively. That is a 
fine commendation, is it not, Miss Smith? 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG WOMAN. 281 


These pastors are particularly interested in 
young people, as well as in the parents and 
people who are settled in homes of their own. 
In this series of books you will see the scope 
by the titles, “What A Young Girl Ought To 
Know,” “What A Young Woman Ought To 
Know,” “What A Young Wife Ought To 
Know” and “What A Woman of Forty-five 
Ought to Know.” Then there is a corres¬ 
ponding series to boys and men, “What A 
Young Boy Ought To Know,” “What A 
Young Man Ought To Know,” “What A 
Young Husband Ought To Know,” “What A 
Man of Forty-five Ought To Know. ’ ’ 

Miss Smith, when God created us He gath¬ 
ered about the home and about the relations of 
father and mother, parent and child, brother 
and sister, the tenderest relations of human 
life. This series of books deals with these sub¬ 
jects in the light in which the Creator Him¬ 
self must have thought of them when He cre¬ 
ated and endowed us as He did. 

Let me show you this second book in the 
series, “What A Young Woman Ought To 
Know,” for I am sure it is a book in which 
you will be pre-eminently interested . 

11 Miss Smith, here is a picture of the author. 
This is Dr. Mary Wood-Allen. She is not only 
a trained and experienced physician, but a 
public lecturer who has spoken to hundreds of 
large audiences, and been an intimate counsel¬ 
lor of young women for many years. She is 
herself a mother with grown sons and daugh¬ 
ters. A fine face, is it not, Miss Smith? She 


282 CANVASS FOR YOUNG WOMAN. 

was an intimate friend of Miss Frances E. 
Willard, while she was alive, of Lady Henry 
Somerset and many of the most eminent wo¬ 
men in the world connected with the Woman’s 
Christian Temperance Union. Such a person 
should be well equipped, should she not, Miss 
Smith, for writing such a book to young wo¬ 
men? 

Here is what Lady Henry Somerset says: 
“An extremely valuable book, and I wish that 
it may be widely circulated.” 

Rev. F. B. Meyer, the eminent devotional 
writer and great London preacher, says: “I 
should like to see a wise and judicious distri¬ 
bution of this literature among Christian cir¬ 
cles.” This book is commended by men like 
these whose portraits you see. The Rev. Dr. 
Charles M. Sheldon, author of “In His 
Steps;” Mrs. May Wright Sewall, the former 
President of the International Council of Wo¬ 
men; Mrs. Mary Lowe Dickinson, the Gen¬ 
eral Secretary of the King’s Daughters, writ¬ 
er for the Ladies’ Home Journal and widely 
known. She says: 11 Any young woman know¬ 
ing all that this volume teaches has an es¬ 
sential foundation for whatever other knowl¬ 
edge she may acquire. ’ ’ Mrs. Carse, the foun¬ 
der of the Women’s Temple at Chicago, says: 
“My heart goes out in endorsement of this 
book.” Here is Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mr. 
Charles N. Crittendon, the founder of the Na¬ 
tional Florence Crittendon Home; Mrs. Helen 
Campbell, the author, says: “I cannot speak 
too warmly of your invaluable series.” Mrs. 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG WOMAN. 283 


Stephens, the President of the Wloman ’s Chris¬ 
tian Temperance Union, says: “There is great 
need of careful delicately written books upon 
the subjects treated in this series.” Here are 
prints of some of the languages into which 
these books have been translated. 

These are fine commendations, are they not, 
Miss Smith? The book is divided into three 
parts. The first treats of the value of the 
body and its hygiene, the second of special 
physiology and the laws of maturity, and the 
third, of love, engagement and marriage. Just 
glance at the subjects of these opening chap¬ 
ters: “What You Are Worth,” “Care of the 
Body,” “Food,” “Sleep,” “Breathing-,” 
“Hindrances to Breathing,” “Added Injuries 
from Tight Clothing,” “Exercise,” “Bath¬ 
ing,” etc. Handing the book to the young 
woman so she can glance over the subjects of 
second and third say, “Miss Smith, just take 
this book and glance over the subjects 
of the following chapters. ’ ’ While she is glanc¬ 
ing over the contents remain silent or say, Few 
young women are properly guided in their 
thought along these lines. There are very few 
authors who are fitted to write suitably upon 
these subjects. Did you ever see a more com¬ 
plete book to young women than you find in 
that table of contents, Miss Smith? Is it any 
wonder that these books have won their way 
around the world? Could any young woman 
afford to be without this valuable information ? 

I will be delivering books in this neighbor¬ 
hood in about two weeks, or if you desire, 


284 CANVASS FOR YOUNG WOMAN. 


Miss Smith, I can bring you a copy earlier. 
Many of my subscribers desire the book as 
soon as they can get it, and we are always 
glad to furnish it as soon as possible, because 
when they have read it they become enthusias¬ 
tic advocates and influence their friends and 
others to purchase. Thank you, Miss Smith, 
just sign your name on this line. Here is a 
written guarantee that the book shall be in 
every respect like the sample shown or you 
need not take it. 

If the young woman is of mature years you 
might continue the canvass by calling her at¬ 
tention to “What A Young Wife Ought To 
Know,” using a canvass abbreviated from the 
formula of “What A Young Wife Ought To 
Know.” You may also be able to sell her 
a copy of “Young Girl,” or of the entire 
series. Oftentimes young women buy copies 
of “What A Young Man Ought To Know” to 
present to their brothers, but care must be 
taken not to sell books to persons of imma¬ 
ture years and especially books in the series to 
the opposite sex. 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG WIFE. 


285 


CANVASS FOR “YOUNG WIFE.” 

627. The mode of approach, introduction, 
etc., for this canvass is the same as for former 
canvasses. Use also suggestions in the can¬ 
vass for “Young Woman,” found in Para¬ 
graph 626. Follow these five paragraphs with 
a rapid review of the portraits and commenda¬ 
tions found in the opening of this book in the 
manner suggested by the preceding canvasses 
and then continue as follows: 

Mrs. Smith, I want to show you the portrait 
of Mrs. Drake, etc. Then turning to the title 
page say: You will see here, Mrs. Smith, that 
a thousand dollar prize was given to Mrs. 
Drake for writing this book. Manuscripts 
were submitted from the United States, Can¬ 
ada and England, but the award was unani¬ 
mously made to Mrs. Drake for the manuscript 
contained in this* book. You will note here 
that Mrs. Drake is a graduate of the Boston 
Medical College, formerly physician and Prin¬ 
cipal of Mr. Moody’s School at Northfield, 
Massachusetts, etc. 

This book is dedicated, as you will see, 
Mrs. Smith, “to the young wives who desire 
the best for themselves, for their husbands 
and their offspring.” 

Whether the canvasser should call the atten¬ 
tion of his customer to the contents of each 
particular chapter or whether he should pass 
the book over into the hands of his customer 


286 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG WIFE. 


and ask her carefully to glance over the titles 
of each of the chapters is a question for the 
discretion and good judgment of the canvasser 
himself. Where the canvasser is a woman it is 
usually best to retain the book in her own 
hands and proceed as follows: 

Mrs. Smith, I want to call your attention to 
the contents of this volume. Chapter First is 
on the intelligence of the young wife. In this 
chapter you will find that the author writes of 
woman’s exalted place, her influence, the im¬ 
portance of intelligence, heredity and kindred 
subjects. Chapter Two is devoted to home and 
dress as these questions stand related to 
health and well-being. Chapter Third on the 
health of the Young Wife. That is a very im¬ 
portant subject, is it not, Mrs. Smith? Chap¬ 
ter Fourth on “The Choice of a Husband.” 
This chapter is full of suggestions even to 
those who have already made their choice. Here 
is an important chapter on what shall a wife, 
young or old, expect to be to her husband. 1 
wish I had time, Mrs. Smith, to call your at¬ 
tention to the different important subjects 
treated in this and each of these chapters. 
Here the author writes of ‘ 1 The Trousseau and 
the Wedding Presents,” and then takes up the 
question of the sacred relations between hus¬ 
band and wife, “Preparations for Mother¬ 
hood,” “Preparations for Fatherhood.” Mrs. 
Smith, there has been a great deal said about 
the preparations for motherhood, but there 
has not been a great deal said about the prep¬ 
arations for fatherhood. This writer knows 


CANVASS FOR YOUNG WIFE. 


287 


how to look upon both sides of the subject. 
The responsibility is not all with the mother. 
The father has his share and a very important 
part it is, and I do not know anybody else 
who has set forth this whole subject so intelli¬ 
gently and beautifully as Mrs. Drake has done 
in this book. In Chapter Ten she speaks of the 
destruction of the life of the unborn. In the 
next Chapter on the “ Moral Responsibility 
of Parents in Heredity.’’ This is a most im¬ 
portant chapter. In Chapter Twelve she speaks 
of the ailments which frequently attend the 
months of gestation, and then follows a chap¬ 
ter on “The Development of the Unfolding 
Life,” “The Question of the Wardrobe,” 
“The Choice of a Physician,” “The Birth 
Chamber,” “Surroundings and Care of the 
Mother,” “Care of the Infant.” All of these 
are chapters of utmost importance. Then fol¬ 
lows a series of chapters upon the relations 
of the mother to her child as teacher, as its 
intelligent and qualified guardian from dis¬ 
ease, and every mother knows that there are 
many diseases to which children are subjected. 
They will come through measles, whooping 
cough, mumps and chicken pox all right if the 
mother is intelligent. But, Mrs. Smith, how 
many thousands of children die simply be¬ 
cause the mother does not know the essentials 
at critical times like these. Chapter Twenty- 
one is on “Guarding the Children Against 
Vice.” Then there is an important chapter 
on “The Training of Children,” “Body Build¬ 
ing” with a concluding chapter on some of 



288 


CAA VASS FOR YOUNG WIFE. 


the helps available to mothers in Mothers’ 
Meetings, etc. 

Mrs. Smith, did you ever see a more compre¬ 
hensive, complete and perfect outline for a 
book to young wives ? It is not only for young 
wives, but for wives whether young or old, 
w T hether recently married or already mothers 
of several children. Hundreds of homes are 
unhappy and sad consequences result because 
of the lack of just the information which is 
given in this book for the trifling sum of $1.00. 

Mrs. Smith, this entire community is awake 
to the importance of this series of books which 
I am presenting. When you have read this 
book to young wives you will be like many of 
our purchasers everywhere, you will want a 
copy of “What A Young Husband Ought To 
Know” for your husband. Some clergymen 
feel the importance of this series so deeply 
that they present copies of these two books 
with each marriage certificate. Where the 
preacher has failed to do that there is no al¬ 
ternative but for the person to make the pur¬ 
chase herself. I shall be delivering books here 
to-morrow, Mrs. Smith, when I can bring you 
a copy, or in two weeks when I shall be making 
my final delivery. Thank you, Mrs. Smith. 


CANVASS'—WOMAN OF FORTY-FIVE. 289 


CANVASS FOR “WOMAN OF FORTY- 
FIVE.” 

628. Mrs. Smith, the title of this book sug¬ 
gests a very important subject. “What A 
Woman of Forty-five Ought To Know.’’ This 
is the only book upon this subject ever written 
that was not addressed to physicians. It isn’t 
the physicians who need to know, is it, Mrs. 
Smith? It is the woman herself, and she is 
the one to whom this book is addressed. 

A woman over in Chester, Pennsylvania, was 
told by her physician that it would be neces¬ 
sary for her to undergo a very serious and 
critical operation. She naturally shrank from 
it, for the doctor told her that it was so seri¬ 
ous that he could not absolutely promise that 
she would live through it. About that time she 
learned of this book. She bought a copy and 
when our canvasser called on her, she said she 
would not take a thousand dollars for the 
good this book had been to her. She made up 
her mind when she read the book that the au¬ 
thor, who was herself a woman, knew more 
about her condition than her own physician 
did. The book made her intelligent and she 
decided not to undergo the operation. Three 
or four years had passed by and the results 
had demonstrated that Mrs. Drake was right. 
This woman was thoroughly well and happy 
as the result of the information which she se¬ 
cured from this book. That was worth not 


19 


290 CANVASS—WOMAN OF FORTY-FIVE. 

only one dollar, but hundreds of dollars, was it 
not, Mrs. Smith? No woman can afford to 
endure the perplexities and anxieties which 
cluster about this period of her life, and every 
woman who has reached the years of maturity 
ought to have the information which this book 
contains, so that she need not look forward 
throughout her entire life with apprehension 
and dread as so many women do. 

The canvasser may call attention to the por¬ 
traits and commendations in the front of the 
book and may also, if not a woman, hand the 
book to the woman customer w T ith the request 
that she look over the table of contents. 

That is a very valuable table of contents, is 
it not, Mrs. Smith ? Indeed, this book is 
worth its weight in gold to any woman and es¬ 
pecially to anyone nearing middle life. 

Mrs. Smith, let me have the book just a mo¬ 
ment, I want to show you the portrait of the 
author. She has a fine, sympathetic face, has 
she not, Mrs. Smith? She is a practicing phy¬ 
sician of large experience, herself a mother of 
grown children and in perfect sympathy with 
the women to whom she writes in this book. 
Concerning the author the canvasser may en¬ 
large as circumstances require in harmony 
with the facts given in the sketch of Mrs. 
Drake in Part IV. 

Mrs. Smith, I shall be back in this neigh¬ 
borhood again to-morrow and I can bring you 
a copy of this book at that time, or I can de¬ 
liver you a copy of the book in two weeks, 
when I will be delivering again in this neigh- 


CANVASS—WOMAN OF FORTY-FIVE. 291 


borhood. Kindly sign the order blank right on 
this line. Thank, you, Mrs. Smith, I shall be 
glad to bring it to you to-morrow as you sug¬ 
gest. I wish you would read it as early as possi¬ 
ble, for I am sure you will want to recommend 
it to your friends and your commendation 
will be helpful to me in the circulation of this 
entire series. 

Wihere the canvasser is a woman she may 
readily enlarge much upon this canvass and 
may call special attention to various matters 
in different chapters of the book. Especially 
in the table of contents. 






PART III 


CLASS CANVASSING 









CLASS CANVASSING. 


295 


CHAPTER XY. 

CLASS CANVASSING. 

629. What is Class Canvassing?—When 
ministers, physicians, teachers, lawyers, 
Women’s Christian Temperance Union Work¬ 
ers, or any other class of people are canvassed 
separately, the canvasser passing from one to 
another of the same class in succession until 
he has completed all that belongs to that 
class, it is called class canvassing. Canvassers 
frequently meet with phenomenal success after 
having canvassed an entire community by sin¬ 
gling out and canvassing any one of the 
classes which we have named, and especially 
Bible Class and Sunday School Teachers, and 
canvassing them separately. The advantage 
in class canvassing is found in the fact that 
the canvasser can familiarize himself with 
such lines of treatment, arguments, etc., as 
are necessary to impress a particular class of 
persons whom he is canvassing. An experi¬ 
enced canvasser, who has the confidence and 
patience to lay out his work thoroughly, often 
prefers to do the class canvassing first, and 
thus secure a large number of influential names 
which will be valuable in his house to house 
canvass. Beginners and inexperienced canvas¬ 
sers are usually impatient to test what they 
can do, and in such instances class canvassing 
may come last. When doing class canvassing 


296 


CLASS CANVASSING. 


a great deal of time is liable to be lost in pass¬ 
ing from one district to another remote sec¬ 
tion of the city. To prevent this, the names 
should all be secured at one time and the calls 
arranged by streets and numbers so that the 
persons can all be seen in one journey, in¬ 
stead of as many journeys as there are names 
in the list. Always be systematic and save your 
time, for it means money. 


INTERVIEWING MINISTERS. 


297 


INTERVIEWING MINISTERS. 

630. The Attitude of Ministers. —As a rule, 

ministers will always receive a well-dressed, 
respectable-looking person cordially, regard¬ 
less of what his business may be. After you 
have gained admission if you can show them 
that you are a co-worker with them, accom¬ 
plishing in a house-to-honse canvass work 
which cannot be successfully attempted in a 
general address to all classes from the pulpit, 
you will be sure to have their sympathy and 
co-operation. 

Do not seek to canvass the minister, or to 
sell him books at any of these interviews. 
Wait until you have completed your canvass. 
Canvass him among the very last in the city. 

631. Proceed orderly. —The canvasser 
should always remember that ministers are 
busy men. They are also methodical men. Do 
not take too much of their time. Let them see 
that you value their time the same as they do 
themselves. When you visit them do not try to 
secure from them all that is desired, and which 
ought to be attempted only in two, three or 
more visits. First of all, you want to acquaint 
them with the nature o£ your work; secondly, 
you want to secure their interest; third, their 
co-operation; fourth, their signature to the 
general endorsement of the books. Go this far 
before ever you say anything about the pulpit 


298 


INTERVIEWING MINISTERS. 


announcement, the distribution of pamphlets 
at the church door, or anything else. Get one 
thing at a time. The human mind is so con¬ 
stituted that it cannot deal with several things 
at one time. Paul said, “This one thing I 
do.” Secure the first four steps before you 
take another. If the minister you are inter¬ 
viewing is already acquainted with the books, 
heartily approves them, readily endorses your 
commendation and it is clear that he would be 
willing to make the pulpit announcement you 
may compass this purpose also in a single 
visit. Otherwise, if you ask too much you may 
fail in everything. 

632. When to Canvass Ministers. —Do not 

canvass the minister for his subscription. 
Leave him until you have canvassed the entire 
community, and then if he has been of great 
assistance to you, go to him and offer to take 
his subscription and to present him without 
charge, with as many copies of the books as he 
subscribes and pays for. Propose to him that 
if he will subscribe for the four books to men 
you will present him free the four books for 
women; or if he will subscribe for any one 
book you will present him with any other book 
in the series. Suggest to him the importance of 
having the entire series in his library for the 
purpose of loaning to persons who are too 
poor, too stingy or too indifferent to make the 
purchase for themselves. The books for boys 
and girls, for young men and young women he 
ought to have in his library to loan, so that he 


INTERVIEWING MINISTERS. 


299 


can safeguard these classes from the evils 
which everywhere prevail. He can more suc¬ 
cessfully cope with these evils by loaning one of 
these books than by attempting to spend hours 
with the person in private conversation. The 
private conversation is importaijt, but the use 
of the book is indispensable. 

After the entire community has been thor¬ 
oughly canvassed, the minister might desire to 
place the books in the Church library or in the 
Sunday School Library. We never recommend 
the placing of these books in the Sunday School 
Library, although scores of ministers and even 
Catholic priests have done this, but it should 
never be done unless the minister himself is 
thoroughly familiar with the contents of every 
volume and is prepared to meet any objections 
which might be made by some person who 
simply sees the book without knowing the 
character of its contents. If the minister was 
canvassed first and the books were placed in 
any of the public libraries the persons who 
know that fact might decline to purchase, say¬ 
ing that they could get it out of the Church 
Library. 

Where a minister has been helpful to a can¬ 
vasser in his work, and circumstances seem fit¬ 
ting for him to do so, the canvasser is at lib¬ 
erty to make a present of one, two or even 
four books or more to the minister. Where 
some books are purchased by the minister and 
other copies are presented by the canvasser, 
the minister must clearly understand that the 
books are never sold for one cent less than the 


300 


INTERVIEWING MINISTERS. 


full retail price of $1.00 per copy and that the 
books which he purchases are at the full price 
and that the others are strictly a donation. 
Unless this point is made impressively clear 
to the mind of the minister, he is likely sub¬ 
sequently to write to the company and order 
books, saying that he bought them from the 
canvasser at a reduced price. He may also 
go to the book dealer and make a similar 
statement, and thus introduce confusion into 
the business and work great injury to the cause. 

633. Attitude of Ministers. —Probably one- 
half of the ministers you meet are already 
thoroughly familiar with the character and 
value of the books. Many have not only 
seen them advertised, or heard them spoken 
of, but have read the books. Nearly all min¬ 
isters have seen the advertisements, review 
notices, etc., before ever the canvasser calls. 
The canvasser should, however, always be 
ready and willing to fully satisfy any reason¬ 
able inquiry. The commendations in the front 
of the books, the letter of introduction from 
the publishers, the endorsements of other min¬ 
isters, and the character and manifest pur¬ 
pose of the canvasser will be sufficient to se¬ 
cure the desired endorsement. Sometimes it 
may be necessary to leave one, two or more 
books for examination. It is, however, always 
better that one book should be read thorough¬ 
ly, rather than that two or three books should 
be dipped into at different points without 
understanding the character and relations of 


INTERVIEWING MINISTERS. 


301 


one paragraph to other portions of the entire 
work. Where a minister has time only for a 
brief examination it is always best to leave a 
copy of “What a Young Boy Ought to Know” 
and ask him to read pages 41 to 86. In these 
few pages, which can be read in twenty or 
thirty minutes, a bird’s-eye view can best be 
secured of the thought and purpose of the en¬ 
tire series. If the minister will take the time 
also to read the “Foreword to Parents,” so 
much the better. In all instances the can¬ 
vasser must be prepared to exercise good 
judgment promptly. 


THE INTERVIEW. 


a02 


THE INTERVIEW. 

634. Good morning, this is the Rev. Dr. 
Jones, Pastor of the Baptist Church, I believe. 
My name is Brown, at the same time extend¬ 
ing your hand, stepping forward and entering 
without hesitation. If the servant comes to 
the door, inquire for Dr. Jones, saying that 
you would like to see him personally for a 
moment, step inside and await his coming. 
•Good morning, Dr. Jones; I am a student at 
Harvard College, preparing for the ministry. 
During vacations I devote myself to some 
work which shall be a blessing to humanity 
and enable me to secure the means to prose¬ 
cute my studies. I have come to your city to 
awaken a general interest in the cause of per¬ 
sonal and social purity. I am engaged in a 
* movement which is quite general throughout 
the country. We are seeking to protect the 
purity of boys and girls, young men and 
young women, to safeguard the home and set 
up a single standard of purity, alike for men 
and women. 

In doing this work, Dr. Jones, we are ac¬ 
complishing what every minister feels should 
be done, but which is so delicate, difficult and 
even dangerous that he hesitates to attempt 
it from the pulpit. Therefore ministers every¬ 
where recognize us as co-workers with them in 
this great cause, and not only cheerfully, but 
most cordially give us their co-operation and 
assistance. 


THE INTERVIEW. 


303 


The distribution of tracts has proven inef¬ 
fective, and we are prosecuting the work with 
a series of books which have commended them¬ 
selves to the eminent and good in this and 
every land, that have been translated in India, 
Japan, Korea and other countries by Church 
missionary societies for the use of their mis¬ 
sionaries in their work, which, indeed, have 
been translated into some fourteen different 
languages, and are read today in every coun¬ 
try on the globe. You are, of course, familiar 
with Dr. Stall’s books in the Self and Sex Se¬ 
ries. Open your case and call his attention 
to the books. Go over the titles of the books, 
show him the portraits and commendations, 
tables of contents or whatever may be sug¬ 
gested by the knowledge or lack of knowledge 
which he manifests with regard to the charac¬ 
ter and purpose of the books. Show him the 
commendation which you wish him to sign, and 
have him understand that you hope to secure 
the signatures of the pastors of all the other 
churches to the same endorsement. If there 
are two, three or more canvassers in the same 
city, he should be requested to sign that num¬ 
ber of commendations, so that each canvasser 
may have a copy. 

After you have secured his signature you 
should then determine whether his interest 
warrants you in saying anything at that time 
about the announcement from the pulpit on 
Sunday. If you decide that it is best to omit 
it until later, then try and arrange to call 
on Saturday afternoon or evening, but when 


304 


THE INTERVIEW. 


you call do not sit down or tarry, but simply 
request and secure his additional assistance in 
a pulpit announcement. Hand him a copy of 
the printed announcement, suggest that he can 
make any changes that he sees fit, secure his 
promise to make the announcement (see Par¬ 
agraph 433) leaves copies of any printed mat¬ 
ter you wish distributed at the door as the 
congregation passes out, complete your work 
as briefly as posible, and, thanking him heart¬ 
ily, leave him to his work. 

635. Will Ministers Help? —Canvassers will 
usually find the majority of ministers not only 
willing, but ready to help by endorsing the 
books, making the announcement from the 
pulpit and giving them every possible assist¬ 
ance and co-operation. Baptists, Methodists, 
Presbyterians, Lutherans (English) and all 
others are usually ready without hesitation. 
Rectors of Episcopal parishes are more likely 
than almost any others to be reluctant, and 
on that account should generally be left to 
visit last, so that the canvasser may have the 
added influence of the names and commenda¬ 
tions of all the other pastors. As a rule, Cath¬ 
olic priests will heartily commend the books pri¬ 
vately, but almost universally decline to sign 
the commendations. This is in harmony with 
the rules and regulations of their church,which 
should be respected by the canvasser, but the 
end sought may be largely secured by having 
the priest assure the canvasser that he ap¬ 
proves the books, and that he will heartily 


THE INTERVIEW. 


305 


recommend them to any one who inquires per¬ 
sonally of him, and with these two assurances 
clearly and definitely understood, the can¬ 
vasser is at liberty to say to any of the mem¬ 
bers of the Catholic Church whose homes he 
may enter that the books are approved and 
commended by the priest. 

636. Thanking the Ministers. —On Monday 
after the announcements have been made in 
the pulpits or as early afterward as possible, 
the canvasser should try and find time to drop 
in, or simply to stop at the door and thank 
the clergyman for his kindness and co-opera¬ 
tion. If you are at his church service on 
Sunday morning or evening, remain to thank 
him then. Always attend church services 
morning and evening, the sessions of the Sun¬ 
day School, the midweek prayer meeting, and 
let the pastors and Christian people of the 
community feel that you are interested in the 
great cause of the Master beyond the matter 
of making money. 

637. Sunday School Workers. —If you can 

get the name of the Sunday School Superin¬ 
tendent, without asking the pastor, do so. From 
the Superintendent or Secretary of the Sunday 
School you can learn the names of the teach¬ 
ers, and these you can arrange to see by a 
class canvass or otherwise. Get not only their 
names, but their addresses, and when calling 
address them by their name and tell them that 
as a teacher in such and such a Sunday School 


20 


306 


THE INTERVIEW. 


you have called to see them in reference to a 
great work in which you are engaged. Show 
them the importance of understanding this 
subject in its sacredness for themselves, and 
also that they may be able to understand the 
nature of those whose instruction is committed 
into their hands. Where young women of 20 
years of age and upward are teaching classes 
of boys they ought to know the contents of 
“What a Young Boy Ought to Know” in ad¬ 
dition to the book suited to their own age and 
sex. If they are teaching a class of girls they 
ought to have the book to “Young Girls.” If 
they are teaching a Bible class of men they 
ought to have the books for men. They ought 
to understand the persons with whom they are 
working, of whatever class or age they may 
be. It may be well to omit the Superintendent 
until the close of the canvass and then can¬ 
vass him at the same time when canvassing 
the minister. 

638. Other Suggestions. —With regard to 
pulpit announcements, notices in the daily pa¬ 
pers, etc., the canvasser is referred to Para¬ 
graphs 432 to 435, inclusive. 


CANVASSING TEACHERS. 


307 


CANVASSING TEACHERS. 

£ 

639. The Salutation. —Approach, saluta¬ 
tion and introductory utterances in this can¬ 
vass may be very much the same as those in 
the preceding one to ministers. Teachers are 
likely to be interested in you personally be¬ 
cause you are a student, and particularly so 
because you are earning the money to pay 
your own way through college. After the in¬ 
troduction proceed as follows: 

Teachers are among our best co-workers. To 
them the young look not only for instruction 
in the ordinary rudiments of knowledge, but 
also for guidance in matters where error is 
fatal. 

I am sure you will be glad to become ac¬ 
quainted with this series of books, for they 
make it possible better to understand the na¬ 
ture of boys and girls, of young men and 
young women, and thus better qualify the 
teacher to whom the young naturally and 
rightfully turn for guidance and guarding. 

So often parents do not know how to teach 
their children sacred truths, and the children 
are left either to their pastors or teachers in 
these delicate matters. If they do not instruct 
the rising generation, then there is nothing 
left to them but the teachings of those who 
defile and degrade the young. 

As you know there is a growing sentiment 
abroad that the knowledge of special physiol- 


308 


CANVASSING TEACHERS. 


ogy should be taught in all the schools. These 
books have made such an impression upon the 
minds of educators that the author has been 
importuned again and again to adapt the teach¬ 
ing of these books to the text book form. 
There is no doubt but that the time is rapidly 
approaching when the subject of special phy¬ 
siology will be taught in the school, the same 
as the effects of stimulants and narcotics are 
now being taught. The teacher who would be 
up with the growing thought along these lines 
should be familiar with these truths as un¬ 
folded in the pure, clean way laid down in 
these books. Indeed, many teachers are not 
able to understand how developing boys and 
girls are sometimes transmitted into restless, 
rebellious, and sometimes into incorrigible boys 
and girls. All this in indicated in the earlier 
books in this series. 

Committees have already been appointed in 
the large purity conventions and by Women’s 
Christian Temperance Union Workers, and 
writers are at work** upon the subject of adopt¬ 
ing these teachings to text book form for use 
in the class room. 

Teachers who would be up with the growing 
sentiment and the coming conditions should 
have the knowledge of these subjects as con¬ 
tained in this series of books. 

As a teacher you know that the condition 
of the body determines the condition of the 
mind. The mental depends upon, the phy¬ 
sical. These books put the reader in pos¬ 
session of physical facts in a clean way, and 


CANVASSING TEACHERS. 


309 


lift the thought and aspiration from the grov¬ 
eling and carnal to the things that are good 
and pure. 

640. Startling Testimonies. —That the can¬ 
vasser may have some facts both to stimulate 
his own mind, and also with which to arouse 
educators everywhere, we give the following 
startling facts. 

From students in a large and popular col¬ 
lege not far removed from the City of New 
York we learn that not only do vices prevail 
in that institution to an alarming extent, but 
the diseases which accompany vice are very 
prevalent among the students. 

As a result of a personal canvass in one of 
the large institutions in a Western State it 
was found that of the three hundred and 
thirty-two students only thirteen did not con¬ 
fess to acquaintance with impurity, personal, 
social, or both. 

A professor in one of our colleges writes: 
“I have been talking plainly to our students 
and everyone thus far has confessed with 
tears to being guilty. We see the effects men¬ 
tal, moral and physical as plainly as one can 
see the blight on a tender young tree.” 

Dr. Helen P. Kennedy says: “Of one hun¬ 
dred and twenty-five girls from whom I ob¬ 
tained written statements on subjects of per¬ 
sonal purity, thirty-six passed into woman¬ 
hood with no knowledge whatsoever, from a 
proper source, of all that makes them women; 
thirty-nine had received a very meagre amount 




310 CANVASSING TEACHERS. 

of instruction, while less than one-half of the 
whole number felt free to talk to their own 
mothers on this important subject.’’ 

The University of Michigan met the situa¬ 
tion by a course of lectures given before the 
Medical Department which illustrated and set 
forth the character and results of the dis¬ 
eases which accompany vice, and although pri¬ 
marily announced for the medical students, 
large numbers of students from other depart¬ 
ments attended. The wisdom of such a 
course in a university cannot be over-esti¬ 
mated; but in institutions where there is no 
medical department, this duty must be dis¬ 
charged by those upon whom it manifestly 
rests, for the duty cannot be evaded. 

Degrading influences were found so preva¬ 
lent in a large school in one of our States that 
the authorities thought best to dispense with 
the recess hour. How much better to have 
corrected the evil and then permitted the chil¬ 
dren to have the exercise and invigoration 
which is one of the best antidotes to vice. 
What they needed was not less play, but more 
intelligence, and intelligence of the right sort. 

As a light-house sheds its rays over the' 
stormy waters to warn of the rocks and shoals 
so our teachers should speak words of 
warning as well as advice to the students 
placed in their charge, as they are largely the 
victims of ignorance. 

641. Discovering conditions. —If any super¬ 
intendent of a public school is in doubt with 


CANVASSING TEACHERS. 


311 


regard to the actual conditions which exist 
among the pupils under his care and instruc¬ 
tion, it should be impressed upon him that it 
is his duty to find out what the conditions 
are. This can be done in various ways, ac¬ 
cording to the class and conditions of the 
school and the age of the pupils. Wherever 
an effort is made it ought always to be done in 
such a manner as to protect all who are asked 
to impart information concerning themselves. 
What those in charge need to know are the 
facts. It is not necessary in colleges to dis¬ 
close the identity of the individuals who are 
asked to fill out circular matter. 

It can sometimes be done by asking several 
students who are intelligent and whose judg¬ 
ments are reliable in order to discover some¬ 
thing of the actual condition; it can be done 
by the principal calling into his room pupils 
whose countenances and personal appearance 
readily disclose the evils in which they are in¬ 
dulging. Where the inquisitor acts with de¬ 
cision, the revelations are quite certain. 

In college communities it is not difficult for 
the president or some one in charge to consult 
local resident physicians, not for the purpose 
of having him disclose professional secrets 
concerning particular individuals, but to learn 
from them what are the actual conditions as 
disclosed by their professional practice. 

642. Conditions as They Exist. —An intel¬ 
ligent, observing correspondent writes us as 
follows: ll I have been in nearly all the big col- 


312 


CANVASSING TEACHERS. 


leges and universities from the Atlantic to 
the Pacific and from Canada to South Caro* 
lina, and have talked with thousands of the 
best students, and in all these schools I have 
only found three men who say their fathers 
ever taught them anything along this line. Dr. 
Faunce, President of Brown University, asked 
all the students to get the ‘Young Man’ book 
and read it, and if they couldn’t afford to buy 
it he would lend it to them. Dr. Thompson, 
of Ohio State University, says that if the 
books were placed in every home in this coun¬ 
try he thinks it would revolutionize the mor¬ 
als of the country in ten years. Personally I 
think that if every boy and girl in the coun¬ 
try could get those books and read them, study 
them, and appreciate them, in thirty years 
from now our jails, insane asylums and sa¬ 
loons wouldn’t be half so full.” 

643. The Teacher’s Influence.—Many a 

successful man, looking down in later life, from 
the eminence he has attained, has gratefully 
acknowledged the influence of his teacher in 
moulding his character and determining his 
destiny. Many an Arnold, of Rugby, or an 
Andrews, of Brown,.or a Low, of Columbia, 
by their wise counsels are an inspiration to 
those under their influence. Many teachers, 
not so eminent, have also wooed and won 
thousands of youths from paths that were en¬ 
snaring, and won them to lives of rectitude 
and honor. 


CANVASSING TEACHERS. 


313 


644. How to Reach the Boy. —The teacher 
who is anxious to reach and save the boys will 
find some good and effective way to accomplish 
this result. To such, the following letter from 
a teacher may be suggestive: 

“Two months ago I ordered from you the 
first two of Dr. Stall’s books for men. As 
principal of our school, I have been assem¬ 
bling the boys of fourteen and over one even¬ 
ing each week, in my room, where we read the 
books aloud and discuss whenever it seems ex¬ 
pedient. 

“ Being only a young man myself I entered 
this work in doubt as to how the boys or their 
parents would receive it. We are half through 
with the second book and the boys say it is be¬ 
ing a great benefit to them. Our discussions 
are open and frank, without a trace of impure 
suggestion; and the parents are encouraging 
me to go ahead with such instruction to their 
boys. 

11 Another good result is that several of the 
boys who were most unruly in school can now 
be controlled by a look or word, as a result of 
the confidence established between us by this 
reading. 

“I heartily endorse Dr. Stall’s books and 
the whole purity movement.” 

645. Educators Using the Books. —The 

manner in which hundreds of educators all 
over the country are using these books to fur¬ 
ther the work of personal and social purity 
among the young people under their instruc- 


314 CANVASSING TEACHERS. 

tion and influence will appear from the few 
paragraphs which follow, and many more 
might be added: 

The president of one of the large State 
Normal Schools, who recognized the import¬ 
ance of affording his pupils the best possible 
information along the lines of personal and 
social purity, after carefully examining this 
series of books, placed them in the library for 
the use of the young men and women in at¬ 
tendance. The other books that previously 
had occupied a place on the shelves, in com¬ 
parison with these, were considered possibly 
harmful, and were taken out and destroyed. 

The president of a college, when ordering 
a quantity of “What a Young Man Ought to 
Know,” says: “I have introduced this as a 
text-book in my school, and I feel sure it will 
be of great value to the young men.” 

The professor of Physiology of the Iowa 
State Normal School requests all of the young 
men under his instruction to read the Purity 
Books in the Self and Sex Series addressed 
to men, and he also requests all the young 
women in his class to read each of the four 
books in the same series addressed to women. 

An educator in one of the Western cities 
says: “My copies of these books are out all 
of the time, and one scarcely gets through un¬ 
til another wants them.” 

An intelligent lady, who is a teacher in one 
of the New England schools, writes: “I most 
heartily sympathize with your work, as in my 
twenty-five and more years, part of which time 


CANVASSING TEACHERS. 


315 


I have spent as a teacher, I have realized the 
need of proper instruction for boys and girls 
in our schools and homes, and realize also that 
the parents are often nearly as ignorant of the 
true idea of life as the children.” 

The County Superintendent of Public 
Schools in Monongalia county, West Vir¬ 
ginia, writes that the school boards of the 
county have adopted the Purity Books in the 
Self and Sex Series for a place in the libraries 
of the one hundred and twenty-five schools. 

The School Board of Public Instruction of 
Morristown, New Jersey, have placed a full 
set of the Purity Books in the Self and Sex se¬ 
ries in their teachers 1 library. 

646. Commendations. —The canvasser may 
call the attention of teachers to the commen¬ 
dations of eminent educators found in 11 Young 
Men” and “Young Women,” such as Dr. 
Faunce, president of Brown University; Dr. 
Warfield, president of Lafayette College; Dr. 

Andrews, chancellor of the University of 
Nebraska; Mrs. May Wright Sewall, the prom¬ 
inent educator, and formely president of the 
International Council of Women; Mrs. Helen 
Campbell, of the Kansas State Agricultural 
College, and others. 


316 


CAN V AS SING PHYSICIANS. 


CANVASSING PHYSICIANS. 

647. Physicians are Interested. —No other 
set of men in the community have a fuller 
knowledge of the need for the widest possible 
dissemination of these books than the physi¬ 
cian. They are among our warmest friends, 
and most enthusiastic supporters. While they 
already possess much of the information con¬ 
tained in these books, they do not posses it 
either in their minds or in their libraries in the 
form in which it is presented in these books. 
When they come to know the exceptional 
character of these books, they frequently pur¬ 
chase them for their own reading, and not 
infrequently place the entire series in their 
libraries to loan to their patients. Many phy¬ 
sicians commend them to their patients, and 
one physician in New Jersey sold over six 
hundred by simply purchasing fifty copies at 
a time, piling them up on the table in his 
waiting room, and allowing his patients to 
come in contact with them while awaiting 
their turn. He would allow them to take them 
home and read thein, bring them back and ex¬ 
change them for other books of the series, and 
if they desired to retain a book, or to purchase 
the entire series, at a cost of one dollar per 
copy. 

648. The Canvass. —The approach, saluta¬ 
tion and explanation of your visit may be very 


CANVASSING PHYSICIANS. 


317 


much the same as that indicated in the canvass 
of a minister, and after this proceed as fol¬ 
lows : 

Doctor, I am glad to come to you in this 
great -work in which I am engaged, for as a 
physician you are a leader in public thought. 
You are eminently a guardian of public morals, 
health and happiness. Originally, you remem¬ 
ber, the office of preacher and physician were 
united in one person. The Master sent out His 
disciples to “preach the gospel and heal the 
sick.” While the physician does not now 
stand in the pulpit, he is yet a teacher in the 
community, and the entire community has a 
right to look to him for its guidance in these 
very important matters. 

These books, doctor, which I am introducing 
into the homes, are arrayed against quacks 
and all the impostors who prey upon the com¬ 
munity and enrich themselves from the infirm¬ 
ities of those who can be gulled. These books 
recommend no medicines or remedies, but ad¬ 
vise the people at all times and under all cir¬ 
cumstances when needing medical advice, to 
consult their own family physician. 

While you have a large number of medical 
books suited to your own study and investiga¬ 
tion, the books in this series present the sub¬ 
ject in just such a way as a physician would 
desire to use when simplifying the whole sub¬ 
ject to the comprehension of the ordinary lay 
mind. Like all other parents, you will not 
only want this set of books to bring this im¬ 
portant information in the very best way, to 


318 


CANVASSING PHYSICIANS. 


the minds of your own children, but like so 
many of your profession you will need this 
entire series to loan to your patients from time 
to time. Dr. Orville B. Horwitz, of Philadel¬ 
phia, Profesor of Genito-Urinary diseases in 
the Jefferson Medical College, sends scores of 
young men to our publishers for a copy of 
“What a Young Man Ought to Know” and 
“What a Young Husband Ought to Know,” 
and scores and hundreds of physicians every¬ 
where recommend these books and use them 
in the same way. 

Hon. J. J. H. Gregory, of Marblehead, Mas¬ 
sachusetts, formerly a member of the Massa¬ 
chusetts Senate, has bought more than 1,300 
copies of these books and given them away. 
He has also left a legacy in his will, the inter¬ 
est of which is to be used in circulating these 
books. 

These books are commended by all the med¬ 
ical journals in the most unqualified way. 

That the canvasser may understand what 
the medical papers have said upon this subject, 
we append a page of commendations. These 
books have been reviewed and heartily com¬ 
mended by the medical, educational, religious 
and secular press of this country and Great 
Britain. Of the two or three thousand enthu¬ 
siastic commendations, the canvasser will find 
a few samples in the back of one or other of 
the books. 

649. What Medical Authorities Say. — “It 

is written in a chaste and pure manner, and is 


CANVASSING PHYSICIANS. 


319 


scientifically correct. We heartily commend 
it.”—Chicago Medical Recorder. 

“Of great value to every one entering upon 
manhood.”—The Medical World. 

“It is not easy to conceive how this difficult 
subject could be handled more delicately or 
effectively.”—-The Alkaloidal Clinic. 

“Without a rival in literature of its class.” 
—Annals of Gynecology and Pediatry. 

“We find nothing from which to dissent, 
but much to commend. The chapters on mar¬ 
riage are specially to be commended.”—Jour¬ 
nal of the American Medical Association. 

“The book is well written. We commend it 
to the lay reader.”—The Chicago Clinic. 

“Dr. Stall has undertaken the task of en¬ 
lightening mankind upon all the vexed ques¬ 
tions of sex relationship. We have already 
taken pleasure in reviewing former works of 
this series, and can only add that this is of the 
same high character.”—The Syracuse Clinic. 

The canvasser can also refer to the personal 
commendations of Dr. Porter, Dr. Munde, Dr. 
Boldt and Dr. Howard A. Kelly in the opening 
pages of “Young Man” and “Young Hus¬ 
band.” 









PART IV 

SKETCHES OF AUTHORS 


» 


2 1 









SKETCHES OF AUTHORS. 


323 


CHAPTER XVI. 

SYLVANUS STALL, D. D. 

A Man with a Message. 

By L. M. Cross. 

650. A man who has a message is always 
sure of an audience. You can no more pre¬ 
vent the crowds from getting within reach of 
the message than you can cork up an active 
volcano or restrain the onrushing tides of Ni¬ 
agara. The man who has a message and burns 
to tell it will tell it even if he has to burn to 
do so. The messenger is born for the mes¬ 
sage. Our divine Father seems to early instil 
into the mind of a messenger the message that 
He would have him deliver. 

In a little village in the State of New York, 
back in the sixties, a thoughtful Christian boy 
was anxiously asking questions about his re¬ 
productive nature. His parents did not an¬ 
swer him. He did not like the way his com¬ 
panions replied to him. He sought an an¬ 
swer from books, but he found that the litera¬ 
ture then obtainable imparted the information 
in a degrading manner. He asked himself the 
question, “Why has not somebody written a 
book on this subject in a pure manner that 
even a boy can read?” 

It was when Sylvanus Stall was a boy of 


324 SKETCHES OF AUTHORS. 

fifteen that God placed in his heart the thought 
to write a book that a Christian boy could 
safely read. For years he hid this secret in 
his own heart and brain, but never for a mo¬ 
ment lost sight of it. 

His parents died when he was a lad. After 
receiving a common school education, he added 
a course at a commercial college and then had 
three years’ experience in mercantile pursuits 
as a salesman, and later as cashier with the 
firm of Lord & Taylor, New York City. .In 
1866 he decided to yield to what he felt to be 
a divine call to the ministry, and the same 
year he entered the classical department of 
Hartwick Seminary, Otsego county, New York. 
In 1867 he entered the Preparatory Depart¬ 
ment at Gettysburg, graduating from Pennsyl¬ 
vania College in 1872. 

Whilst pursuing his studies at college he 
paid a portion of his college expenses by can¬ 
vassing for books, and Dr. Stall now places a 
very high estimate upon the experience he 
then gained in this work. It gave him a 
knowledge of mankind and has proven of the 
highest value to him in his work, both as a 
preacher and author. Dr. Stall also studied 
for one year at the Union Theological Semi¬ 
nary in New York City. He next traveled 
abroad for five months in the various countries 
of Europe. He was ordained to the ministry 
in the Lutheran church in 1874. In that same 
year he was married and also entered upon 
his first charge at Cobleskill, New York State. 
He next served two churches in Pennsylvania, 


SKETCHES OF AUTHORS. 


325 


after which he became pastor of the Second 
English Lutheran Church in Baltimore, where 
a remarkable work was accomplished. In two 
years 254 persons were added to the church 
membership and a large amount of money was, 
raised for church improvements. It was whilst 
Dr. Stall was pastor of this church that he 
preached his “Five Minute Object Sermons to 
Children/’ which were received with such 
great favor by large audiences of both chil¬ 
dren and grown people. He appealed through 
eye-gate and ear-gate for admission into the 
city of child-soul. 

Dr. Stall believes in system. His pastoral 
work was noted for its method and thorough¬ 
ness, and in 1876 he published “Stall’s Pas¬ 
tor’s Pocket Record” which is known and rec¬ 
ommended to-day by the ministers of all de¬ 
nominations as being the very best book of its 
class published. 

Many a pastor of a struggling church, han¬ 
dicapped by a heavy debt, also owes to Dr. 
Stall a debt of obligation for his timely volume 
on “How to Pay Church Debts and How to 
Keep Churches Out of Debt,” which was pub¬ 
lished in 1880. In 1887 his valuable contribu¬ 
tion to practical church problems entitled, 
“Methods of Church Work,” was published. 
He also compiled “Bible Selections for Daily 
Devotion,” which is in use in many Christian 
homes for family worship. In 1890 he became 
Associate Editor of the “Lutheran Observer,” 
one of the most influential journals of the 
Lutheran denomination in America, which po- 


326 


SKETCHES OF AUTHORS. 


sition he held for eleven years. The degree of 
D. D. was conferred upon him by his Alma 
Mater, Pennsylvania College, in 1893. 

During all the years of faithful and devoted 
service when Dr. Stall was absorbingly en¬ 
gaged as editor, making an enviable name as 
an author of books along the lines of practical 
church work, and while ministering as a 
preacher most successfully to large congrega¬ 
tions, he never for one moment forgot the 
covenant he had made when a mere lad—he 
never lost sight of his life purpose. It was 
constantly before him, shining like a star at 
night and blazing as a sun by day. No dis¬ 
tinctions won nor laurels achieved along other 
lines could ever lure him from paths which he 
believed God had mapped out for him. When¬ 
ever he saw a book which he judged would 
prove helpful to him he purchased it, and laid 
it away for the propitious time, which he be¬ 
lieved, in God’s good providence would surely 
come. 

In the year 1897, with an unfaltering and 
abiding faith, he published the covenanted 
volumes, “What A Young Boy Ought To 
know” and “What A Young Man Olight To 
Know,” and awaited with confidence the judg¬ 
ment of the public upon them. It exceeded his 
brightest anticipations. Eminent philanthrop¬ 
ists, physicians, scientists, educators and cler¬ 
gymen were quick to see that at last literature 
had been written in a pure, yet scientific, man¬ 
ner which could be read by our boys and young 
men everywhere without the slightest hint of 
impurity. 


SKETCHES OF AUTHORS. 


327 


Dr. Stall was quick to recognize the leadings 
of Providence, and resolved to consecrate his 
entire energies and thought to the one idea 
of disseminating literature along these purity 
lines. Then followed “What A Young Hus¬ 
band Ought To Know,” written in that lan¬ 
guage which only a pure heart and brain could 
conceive. Then, when he reached the period of 
middle life, he found that men of forty-five 
were as ignorant of the changes through which 
they pass as the boys at the period of adoles¬ 
cence, and there was a fourth book, “What A 
Man of Forty-five Ought to Know.” 

Dr. Stall has always believed that his spec¬ 
ial work was for men, as he knew he could 
not be misunderstood in the zeal which he dis¬ 
played for their welfare, although he was not 
without interest in girls and women. He felt 
that they also should have literature that 
would instruct purely and yet surely and truly, 
and he seems to have been providentially led 
to secure the efficient services of Mrs. Mary 
Wood-Allen, M. D., and Mrs. Emma F. A. 
Drake, M. D., who have written in a pure, 
chaste, and yet informing way for our girls 
and women upon things that they also should 
know. 

Such in brief is the need for the literature, 
and the reason for the founder engaging in the 
work. Dr. Stall is a versatile and capable 
man, and many avenues offered him large finan¬ 
cial gain, but he turned from them for he be¬ 
lieves with all the enthusiasm of his intense 
nature that God had called him to this purity 


328 


SKETCHES OF AUTHORS. 


work, and like the great Apostle to the Gen¬ 
tiles, he resolved to do the one thing that his 
Master had marked out for him. That he was 
right in his purpose he now has many tokens 
in the good being accomplished by his books, 
for young men and older men released from the 
bondage of degrading and sinful habits rise 
up in every country on the globe, and bear him 
witness in messages of profound gratitude. 

Something of the far-reaching influence of 
this “Self and Sex” Series is made apparent 
by the fact that several of the large church 
missionary societies have, at their own ex¬ 
pense, had one or more of these books trans¬ 
lated and published for the use of the mis¬ 
sionaries in their work in different portions of 
Asia. These books have also been translated 
into Swedish, Dutch, French, German and 
Spanish, and translations are under way in 
various other countries of the world. The 
English and American edition has reached a 
circulation of more than a million copies, and 
the books in English are sold in large quanti¬ 
ties in lands as remote as India, China, Ja¬ 
pan, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand. 

The religious, secular, medical and educa¬ 
tional periodicals have been united in hearti¬ 
est commendations and in ten years the results 
have been so far-reaching as to surpass even 
the most sanguine expectations that could pos¬ 
sibly have been entertained by their author 
when the work was commenced. So impor¬ 
tant have the messages in these books been 
deemed by the United States Government that 


SKETCHES GF AUTHORS. 


329 


copies appropriate to the conditions of the 
“men behind the guns’’ have been placed in 
the libraries of every war vessel in the Navy 
for the use of its officers and men. Dr. Stall 
is verily a man with a message to his day and 
generation, the far-reaching issues of which 
may never be fully estimated. 


330 


SKETCHES OF AUTHORS. 


MRS. MARY WOOD-ALLEN, M. D., AND 
HER MESSAGE TO GIRLS. 

By L. M. Cross. 

651. Dr. Stall seems to have been divinely 
guided in his selection of his associate au¬ 
thors to write the books for girls and women. 
Mrs. Mary Wood-Allen, the author of “What 
A Young Girl Ought To Know” and “What 
A Young Woman Ought To Know” in the 
Self and Sex Series, is known throughout the 
civilized world. Her winsome and splendid 
personality, her prominence as a lecturer and 
author have made a name for her that will long 
live in the homes and hearts of mothers every¬ 
where. She has an exceptional equipment for 
her work along the lines of social and personal 
purity. The very first book that she wrote en¬ 
titled “The Man Wonderful in the House 
Beautiful ’ ’ achieved for her success as a chaste 
and pure writer. Her later book entitled 
“Marvels of Our Bodily Dwelling” presented 
some important information concerning the 
human body most informingly and impres¬ 
sively. Her pamphlets addressed to mothers, 
young boys and young women, upon purity 
subjects, were among the earliest and most 
successful of their kind published. In all of 
her writings she has displayed a wonderful 
command of pure and refined language. 

Dr. Wood-Allen is a prominent leader in the 


SKETCHES OF AUTHORS. 


331 


work of personal and social purity both in this 
country and in Europe. She was intimately 
associated with Miss Frances E. Willard and 
for many years was the National and Inter¬ 
national Superintendent of the department of 
personal and social purity in the Women’s 
Christian Temperance Union. The W. C. T. U. 
workers everywhere revere and honor her for 
her works’ sake. She is now the editor of 
“American Motherhood” and a contributor to 
the Mothers’ Department in other periodicals. 

Decidedly the most important and effective 
work of her life was accomplished when she 
wrote “What A Young Girl Ought To Know.” 
This book answers every intelligent girl the 
anxious questions that she is sure to ask as 
to the mystery of her life. It tells in sweet 
and most tender and sacred language what 
every girl ought to know. This book has re¬ 
ceived the commendations of the most emi¬ 
nent women in the educational and philan¬ 
thropic world. Well-known Christian work¬ 
ers and authors like Frances E. Willard, Mrs. 
Alden (Pansy), Mrs. E. M. Whittemore, Har¬ 
riet Lincoln Coolidge, Mrs. Francis Sheldon 
Bolton and many other eminent women have 
been enthusiastic in their endorsements. 

Her next book was “What a Young Woman 
Ought To Know.” In this book Dr. Wood- 
Allen discusses questions every one of which 
has been the subject of a query propounded by 
some girl otherwise intelligent and well in¬ 
formed. Mrs. Wood-Alien believes it will be 
safer for the girl who understands her own na- 


332 


SKETCHES OF AUTHORS. 


ture and reverences her womanhood, and who 
realizes her responsibility towards the human 
race and conducts herself in accordance with 
that realization. This book, like the book to 
girls, has been translated into many of the 
languages of Europe and Asia and is in the li¬ 
brary of many thousands of Christian homes 
throughout the English-speaking world. 

Mrs. Wood-Alien is widely known through¬ 
out the United States and England as a lec¬ 
turer upon the subjects relating to all depart¬ 
ments of reform, particularly of personal and 
social purity. She has the experience which 
comes from a large medical practice. Being 
herself a mother she adds to her knowledge the 
human sympathy that endears her girl readers 
to her everywhere. She knows how, in spot¬ 
less language, to convey her thought so as to 
lift the whole subject of purity into the realm 
of exalted thinking. 

The books of Dr. Wood-Alien have safe¬ 
guarded from impurity of thought and life 
many a girl and young woman, and eternity 
alone will reveal the good which has been ac¬ 
complished through her most excellent books 
and writings. 


SKETCHES OF AUTHORS . 


333 


MRS. EMMA F. A. DRAKE, M. D., AND HER 
MESSAGE TO WIVES AND WOMEN 
OF MIDDLE LIFE. 

By L. M. Crass. 

652. No woman could have had a better 
equipment for her work as an author of books 
on sacred subjects to women than Mrs. Drake, 
of whom we write in this brief sketch. Edu¬ 
cated and trained as a physician, experienced 
as a teacher to girls, and co-laborer of one of 
the most useful and widely known Christian 
workers in the world; and herself a sympa¬ 
thetic and loving wife and mother. All of her 
natural endowments of character as well as her 
mental, moral and spiritual training pre-emi¬ 
nently fitted Mrs. Dr. Emma F. Angell Drake 
to write the books that would give information 
purely, informingly and sympathetically to the 
women in every land. 

Dr. Stall had already secured the intelligent 
services of Mrs. Dr. Wood-Alien to write the 
first two books to women in the Self and Sex 
Series, and knowing that two other books must 
follow in the series, one to wives and the other 
to women approaching the age of forty-five, 
offered a prize of $1,000.00 for the best manu¬ 
script written to young wives. He realized 
that the writer of such a book must have an 
unusual endowment along very many lines to 
successfully perform her task. A number of 


334 


SKETCHES OF AUTHORS. 


intelligent women, each of them being a wife 
and mother, were appointed as a committee to 
whom all manuscripts submitted were refer¬ 
red. After mature deliberation and painstak¬ 
ing work the Committee unanimously decided 
that Mrs. Dr. Emma F. Angell Drake had sub¬ 
mitted the ideal manuscript and was there¬ 
fore entitled to the $1,000.00 offered by Dr. 
Stall. 

Dr. Drake was born in Angelville, Clinton 
County, New York. She was graduated at 
Olivet College, Michigan. After spending five 
years in High School teaching she pursued a 
course of medical studies, graduating from the 
Boston University Medical College. She was 
elected principal and physician of Mr. D. L. 
Moody’s school at Northfield, Massachusetts. 
At the end of a year of service in this insti¬ 
tution she was married to the resident pastor 
of the Congregational Church, Rev. Ellis R. 
Drake, D. D. 

Mrs. Drake is a practicing physician of large 
experience and for a number of years held the 
professorship of Obstetrics in the Denver 
Homoeopathic College and Hospital, which po¬ 
sition she was finally compelled to resign on 
account of her increased professional practice 
and her manifold duties as the wife of a prom¬ 
inent minister. 

Mrs. Drake is the mother of three children, 
a daughter and two sons. She has written a 
number of books and has contributed articles 
of distinctive merit to the various medical 
periodicals. She has also made a name for 


SKETCHES OF AUTHORS. 


335 


herself in her helpful and informing contribu¬ 
tions to the press on personal and social pur¬ 
ity. In reform and ecclesiastical circles she 
has been honored by positions of large respon¬ 
sibility, but perhaps in nothing has she so 
much excelled as in her position of wife, 
mother, minister’s helper and home-maker. 

In her book to young wives she tries to im¬ 
press young home-makers with the importance 
of the position they have assumed to fill, while 
she endeavors to inspire them with the highest 
purposes in fitting themselves for it worthily. 
She believes that all the way from childhood 
onward a wise mother will be instilling truths 
into the minds of her daughters that will be 
along the lines of preparation for motherhood. 
The early teaching of truth, the early knowl¬ 
edge of self and sex relations, the right esti¬ 
mate of marriage, all these lessons are pre¬ 
paring the way for a later knowledge that pre¬ 
cedes motherhood. “What A Young Wife 
Ought To Know,” like the other volumes in 
the Self and Sex Series, has been translated 
into various languages and it is regarded as 
the very best book of general counsel to 
young women who are anxious to become 
model wives that has ever been published. It 
lifts wifehood and motherhood into that Divine 
light from which God viewed it when He cre¬ 
ated Eve as a companion and help meet of 
Adam. To write such a book would render 
any woman immortal. One of the most promi¬ 
nent writers in America urges that a copy of 
this book should accompany every marriage 


336 


SKETCHES OF AUTHORS. 


certificate. Its inspiring information will do 
much to make the home life what it should be. 

Dr. Stall realized that a woman who could 
write such a book to wives was just the one 
with the mature experience that comes from a 
useful and thoughtful life to write the book 
on the critical period in a woman’s life at the 
age and beyond forty-five. It is the only sep¬ 
arate book that has ever been written for 
women for this period which is usually so 
much dreaded by women. “What A Woman 
of Forty-five Ought To Know, ’ ’ is packed with 
information that should be in the possession 
of every wife and mother, as well as in the 
hands of those who are not married. Its pe¬ 
rusal will help to free them from anxious 
worry about this critical period of their lives. 
It will save them from many anxious hours 
spent in worry and will make them healthier, 
purer and nobler women in every way. 

Mrs. Drake has received letters from wives 
and mothers the world over commending the 
splendid work that she performed when she 
wrote these two wonderful books, “What A 
Young Wife Ought To Know” and “What A 
Woman of Forty-five Ought To Know.” The 
influence of their Christian author will never 
die. These books will live for centuries to 
come, preaching their helpful and sympathetic 
messages to the wives and mothers of the en¬ 
tire globe. 


PART V 


PHYSICAL CULTURE 
SUPPLEMENT 






CHAPTER XVII. 


Physical Culture 

653. The importance of physical culture can 
scarcely be overstated. Not only health but suc¬ 
cess depends upon it. The canvasser is placed 
under a severe mental strain. He needs the best 
physical equipment. Five or ten minutes given 
daily to physical culture will secure the result. 

The canvasser is referred to Chapter IV, page 
35, as a preliminary to what follows. 

The exercises which we have appended have 
been adopted by the United States Government 
for use in the Navy and will be found most in¬ 
valuable as a system of physical culture. They 
can be used in one’s own room without appara¬ 
tus, and five or ten minutes devoted to these ex¬ 
ercises morning, or evening, or both will secure 
wonderful results. Some persons sleep better 
after exercising, while others do not sleep so 
well. You must judge for yourself. 



PHYSICAL DRILL, 



1. POSITION. 

Heels together, toes turned out. Hands 
by the sides, palms in. Abdomen in, chest 
out. Shoulders back and down. Head 
up, chin in. (Fig. i.) 


2. SIDE SWEEPS. 




Fig. i. 

“ Position. 


i. Slowly inflate the 
lungs through the nose 
(keeping the mouth 
shut), at the same time 
raising the arms in side 
semicircles to vertical, 
and emphasizing the out 
and up stretch. At ver¬ 
tical the knuckles should 
touch, the elbows should 
be straight, the lower arms should lightly 
press the ears. The lungs should be full. 
(Fig. 2.) 

2. Return arms through side semi¬ 
circles to sides, slowly exhaling. 

Take seven or eight seconds for each 
upward and downward sweep. 

Special Action.—The hundred and 
more muscles concerned in deep respira¬ 
tion, and especially the muscles of the 
side walls of the chest. 



I 




Fig. 2. 

‘Side Sweeps/ 

AT VERTICAL. 



3. FRONT SWEEPS. 

x. Hands at side, back of hands front. 
Inflate the lungs slowly through the 
nose (keeping the mouth shut), at the 
same time raising the arms slowly, 
through front semicircles, to vertical. 
Emphasize the out and up stretch. 
When at vertical the thumbs should 
be interlaced, palms front, elbows 
straight, and lower arms brushing the 
ears. The lungs should be full. (Fig. 3.) 

2. Return the arms through front 
semicircles to sides, and past as far as 
possible, exhaling slowly, but keeping 
chest out and chin in. 

Take seven or eight seconds for each 
upward and downward sweep. 


Fig. 3. Special Action. —The muscles con- 

**Front Sweeps," cerned in deep respiration, and espe- 
at vertical. cially the front walls of the chest. 














4. FINGERS, 



Fig. 4. 

“ Fingers/* 
First 
Position. 



I. Hands at sides. Throw the fingers wide apart and 
backward energetically. Close them lightly. Perform 
movement twice. Emphasize odd counts. (Fig. 4.) 


2. Raise the arms to side horizontals, elbows straight. 
Perform movement twice. (Fig. 5.) 



Fig. 6. 

** Fingers,” Third 
Position. 
(Side view.) 


3. Bring the arms 
to front horizontals, 
elbows straight. 
Perform movement 
twice. (Fig. 6 .) 

4. Raise the arms 
to vertical, elbows 
straight. Perform 
movement twice. 

(Fig. 7.) 

Special Action.— 

The muscles of the 
fingers and forearms. 



Fig. 7. 

“ Fingers/* 
Fourth 
Position. 
















5. WRISTS, 



Fig. 8 . 
“Wrists,” 
First Position. 
(Side view 
to show 
movement.) 


I. Hands at vertical (where the last 
exercise left them). Keep fingers and 
elbows straight. Bend hands backward 
as far as possible; then forward. Per¬ 
form movement twice. (Fig. 8.) 


2. Let arms fall 
to front horizontals, 
elbows straight. 
Perform movement 
twice. (Fig. 9.) 



Second Position. 


3. Swing arms to side hori- 
zontals, elbows straight. Per- 
Yu/1) form movement twice. (Fig. 10.) 

Fig. 10. 

“ Wrists,” 

Third Position. 

4. Drop arms to sides, elbows p IG> 11% 

straight. Perform movement twice. “Wrists,” 
(Fig. 11.) Fourth Position. 

(Side view.) 

Special Action. —The muscles of the wrists and forearms. 








e. ARMS, 


i. Hands at the sides. Close hands 
tightly. Bring forearms strongly up in 
front to face of shoulders, keeping elbows 
stationary at sides. (Fig. 12.) 



2. Thrust the fists 
strongly down past the 
sides as far as possi¬ 
ble, twisting the arms. 
Throw the chest out, 
and keep the head back 
and chin in. (Fig. 13.) 



Fig. 12. 

“ Arms," 
End of First 
Count. 


Fig. 13. 
“Arms,” 
End of Second 
Count. 
(Side view.) 


Special Action.—The principal mus¬ 
cles of the arms; also those of the chest 
and back of the neck. 


7 . ARM CIRCIiE. 


1. Hands at sides, palms back. Sweep 
the arms up diagonally and circle back¬ 
ward to as far past the side horizontals 
as possible, twisting the palms upward 
and bending the thumbs down. Throw 
chest well out, and keep head back and 
chin in. Emphasize this count. (Fig. 14.) 

2. Drop arms to sides. 



Special Action.—The rotary muscles 
of the arms and shoulders. 


Fig. 14. 

"Arm Circle," 
End of 
First Count. 
(Side view.) 






8. SHOULDERS. 



Fig. 15. 

•* Shoulders,” 
End of 
First Count. 
(Side view.) 


1. Raise shoulders a 
little. Roll them strong¬ 
ly as far back and down 
as possible, keeping el¬ 
bows straight and act¬ 
ing as if carrying a 
heavy weight in each 
hand. (Fig. 15.) 

2. Let shoulders drop 
forward easily. (Fig. 
16.) 


Special Action.— 
Back muscles of the 
shoulder, and those of 
the back. 



Fig. 16. 

“ Shoulders/* 
End of 

Second Count. 


9 . NECK. 



Fig. 17. 
“Neck,” 
End of First 
Count. 
(Side view.) 


x. Drop head for¬ 
ward. Interlace fingers 
at the back of the head, 
elbows parallel in front. 
Push the head back, 
resisting the movement 
by pulling hard with 
the hands. Emphasize 
the count. (Fig. 17.) 


2. Pull the head for¬ 
ward. (Fig. 18.) 



(When through, 
Hands at Sides.) 


Fig. 18. 
“Neck," 
End of Second 
Count. 












10 . TOES. 

1. Rise slowly and as high as possible on 
toes, body erect. (Fig. 19.) 

2. Back to “ Position.” 

Command: Toes, Rise Slowly—1,2; 1,2, 
etc. 

Special Action.—The muscles of the toes, 
of the bottom of the feet, of the ankles ana 
calves. 


11 . HEELS. 

1. Rise sharply on heels, 
keeping the body erect. 
Keep thighs and chest well 
forward. 

** Rising on 2 . Back to “ Position.” 
Toes.” Special Action. —The 
muscles of the front of the 
lower leg. 


12 . FEET. 

1. With feet together, and keeping 

knees straight, raise the toes up, and 
spread feet apart toward the side hori¬ 
zontals, pivoting on the heels. Empha- “KneeStoop,” 
size this count. First Count. 

2. Back easily to “ Position.” (Side view.) 

Special Action.—The muscles of the 

upper foot and back of hip. 



Fig. 20. 




Fig. 21. 

“ Knee Lift” 
(side view). 
First Count. 
At count the knee 
should touch the 
chest. 


13 . KNEE STOOP. 

1. Hands on hips,thumbs back,fingers 
forward, elbows bent. Bend knees ob¬ 
liquely, and let the body go down slow¬ 
ly (rising on toes), till the thighs touch 
the heels. Keep shoulders and head 
back and chin in. (Fig. 20.) 

2. Return slowly to “ Position.” 

Special Action.—The thigh mus¬ 
cles and the joints of the legs. 


14 . KNEE LIFT. 

1. Lift right knee, striking chest, if 
possible. (Fig. 21.) 

2. Back to “ Position.” 

3. Lift left knee, striking chest, if 
possible. 

4. Back to “ Position.” 

Special Action.—Front muscles of 
the thighs. 







15 . THIGHS. 


1. Rise on toes. 

2. Back to “ Position.” 

3. Jump, separating the feet 
sideways as far as can be done 
without straining the inside of 
the thighs, at the same time 
throwing up arms sideways to 
nearly vertical. (Fig. 22.) 

4. Jump back to “ Position.” 

Special Action.—The in¬ 
side muscles of the thighs and 
the calves. 




Fig.22. 

"Thighs,” at End of 
Third Count. 


16 . SIDE STOOP. 


1. Hands on tops of shoulders, elbows 
back. Push the right arm to a vertical, 
at the same time bending the body to 
the left and touching the floor at the 
side of the left heel with the left hand. 
Keep the right knee stiff, the head up 
and the eyes directed upward to the 
right hand. 

2. Back to “ Position,” tops of shoul¬ 
ders. 

3. Push the left arm up to the verti¬ 
cal, bend to right, and touch the floor 
beside the right heel with the right 

hand, turning the eyes upward. (Fig. 23.) 

4. Back to “ Position,” hands at sides. 

(When through, Hands at Sides.) 

Special Action.—The side muscles of the body; the 
movement has also a healthful effect upon the liver. 


Fig. 23. 

"Side Stoop,” 
End of 
Third Count. 


17 . STATIONARY WALK (OR RUN). 

Keep the thighs perpendicular and the knees well back. 
Try to strike the back of the thigh with the heel each time 
the foot is raised. The exercise may be done either as a 
run or as a walk. 

Special Action.—The back muscles of the thighs and 
the respiratory muscles. 




INDEX. 


347 


INDEX 


The figures in the following index refer not to the 
page, but to the paragraph. The paragraphs in this 
hook begin with 401. The numbers below 400 refer 
to the paragraphs in the pamphlets. One hundred par¬ 
agraphs are allowed for each pamphlet, the same as in 
cities where one hundred numbers are allowed for each 
block or square. 

As the paragraphs in the first edition of Booklet 
“No. 1” and “No. 2” have not been numbered, the con¬ 
tents of these two pamphlets are referred to by pages. 
For example:—B. 2, p. 28 refers to Booklet No. 2, 
page 28 : 


A 

Adaptability, 479. 

Advantages of canvass¬ 
ing, 233. 

Aggressiveness, 499. 

Anticipating objections, 
496, 498. 

Appealing to customer, 
487. 

Appealing to parents, 577 

Appealing to philan¬ 
thropic, 575. 

Approach, 600, 614, 461, 
455, 462. 

Asking questions, 486, 
597. 

Attending church services, 
430, 636. 

Attention to business, 

453. 

Attitude of pastors, B. 2, 
P. 28, 304, 635. 

Attitude of public, 301, 
304, 305, 314, 317. 

Authors, how to use por¬ 


traits and names, 615, 
619, 623, 626, 627. 

Avoiding your subscriber, 
591 (21). 

B 

Bad habits, j586. 

Beginning the work, 
Chapt. 6, 413, 415, 

419, 431, 468. 

Belief in the books, 470, 
B. 2, P. 26. 

Benefits of the work, 302, 
315, 319, 322, 326, 331, 
332, 333, 335, 338. 

Bills of lading, 544, 545, 
546. 

Boarding place, 425, 426. 

Book of instruction, pur¬ 
pose of, page 13 (fore¬ 
word). 

Book to present first to 
customer, 465. 

Books for examination, 
633. 




348 


INDEX. 


Books, how to carry, 455. 

Books on hand, 491. 

Books, price of, B. 2, p. 
26-28, 580, 581, 610, 
620, 632. 

Books to women, B. 2, p. 
4. 

Borrowing money, 545, 
546, 547, 548. 

Boxing and drayage, cost 
of, 541. 

Brevity, 474, 593. 

Built-up sections of cit¬ 
ies, 461. 

Business methods for the 
canvasser, 547. 

Busy persons, 463, 591 
(2), 631. 

C 

Calling on family with 
visitors, 591 (7). 

Canvass for entire series, 
614 to 622, 456, 482. 

Canvass for single book, 
456. 

Canvass for “Young 

Boy,” 600, 605, 606, 

615. 

Canvass for “Young 

Man,” 608, 610, 616. 

Canvass for “Young 

Husband,” 611 to 613, 
617. 

Canvass for “Man of 45,” 
613, 618. 

Canvass for “Young Girl,” 
623, 625. 

Canvass for “Young 

Woman,” 624, 626. 

Canvass for “Young 

Wife,” 625, 627. 


Canvass for “Woman of 
45,” 625, 628. 
Canvassing a man, 614. 
Canvassing a woman, 
614. 

Canvassing old territory, 

589. 

Canvassing— 

Children, 482. 

Colleges and schools, 
441, B. 2, p. 25. 
Congregation, 443. 
Foreigners, 583. 

Groups of people, 472, 
591 (7). 

Married people, 482. 
Ministers, 435, 632. 
Mothers’ clubs, 435. 
Parents, 591 (16), 607, 
615, 626, 482. 

Poor, 475. 

Sunday School workers, 
637. 

Teachers, 435, 604, 

639. 

Y. M. C. A.’s, 435. 
Young People’s Society, 
576. 

Canvass, proceeding with, 
480. 

Cards of introduction— 
Securing, 442. 

Using, 462. 

Carefulness, 532. 

Cash business in deliver¬ 
ing books, 562. 

Cash commission enlist¬ 
ing agents, 579. 

Cash system, 547. 

Choice of territory, 589, 
591 (9). 

Class canvassing, 629, 

590, 435, Chapt. 15. 




IV BEX. 


349 


Closing an order, 474, 
480, 483. 486. 

College men and women 
as canvassers, B. 2, p. 
7-8. 

College and school can¬ 
vassing, 441, B. 2, p. 
25. 

Commendations— 

Securing, 430, 432, 437, 
634. 

Form of, 432. 

Pastors’, 433, 435, 633, 
634, B. 2, p. 9. 
Teachers’, 435, 642, 

644, 645. 

Arranging list. 436, 
438. 

How to use, 438, 456, 
634. 

Commendations from em¬ 
inent people, Book I. 

Commending your cus¬ 
tomer, 598, 604. 
Commissions, 222, 579. 
Conditional orders, 488. 
Conscientious work, 567. 
Consignments, 546. 
Contents, tables of, Book 
I. 

How to use, 623. 

Creating desire, Chapt. 8, 
470, 471, 481, 498, 

593. 

Credit, 430, 548, 549. 

Length of, 550. 
Customer who refuses you, 
485. 

Customer who hesitates, 
484, 554, 622. 


D 

Deciding for customer, 
499. 

Defeating desire, 476. 
Delayed shipments, 540. 
Delivery, Chapt. 12. 
Success dependent upon 
mental attitude, 554. 
Personal bearing,555. 
Expedition, 555, 565. 
Self control, 556. 
Delaying, 491. 

Definite dates not good, 
561. 

Date of, 491, 559, 560, 
561. 

Time for, 564, 565. 
Route of, 565. 
Delivering personally, 
562. 

Depositing books for cus¬ 
tomer’s call, 562. 
Difficulties and how over¬ 
come, 414, 453, 468, 

584. 

Dignity of the work B. 
2, p. 16, 17, 342, 328, 
340, 416. 

Discouragement, 413, 453. 

Results of, 428. 
Donating books to minis¬ 
ters, 632. 

Drake, Mrs, Emma F. A., 
652. 

Dull and rainy days, 428, 
569. 

E 

Educators and the books, 
645. 

Enlisting, B. 2, p. 31, 32. 




350 


INDEX. 


Enlisting other canvas¬ 
sers, 579. 

Enthusiasm, 416, 458, 

469, 591 (10). 

Essentials to success, B. 
2, p. 19. 

Evangelistic method, B. 2, 
p. 9. 

Evading closing the can¬ 
vass, 483. 

Evasive promises, 490. 

Experience, 411. 

Eye, the, 464. 


Failure, p. 14, 15, B. 2, 
p. 15. 

Cause of, 403, 406, 476, 
477. 

Field, the— 

Choice of, 429. 
Preparing to enter, 430. 
First canvass of territory, 
589. 

Food, 424. 

Foreign translations, 495, 

606, 650, B. 2, p. 5. 
“Foreword to Parents,” 

607, 633. 

Formulas, Chapt. 14— 
Their use, 458, 595. 
Friends, how to make, 
587. 

G 

General principles, 591. 
General suggestions, 
Chapt. 13. 

Gleaned from the mails, 
B. I. 

Good beginning, B. 2, p. 
15. 


Great men as canvassers, 
B. 2, p. 17. 

Groups of people, 472, 
591 (17). 

Guarantee order book, 
486, 492. 

H 

Handling the books, 456, 
457, 615. 

Handling the customer 
who hesitates, 484, 554, 
622. 

Helps to the canvasser, 
482. 

Home canvassing, 440. 

House to house canvass¬ 
ing, 435. 

I 

Importance of knowing 
the books, 410, 418, 

419, 459, 591 (12). 

Increasing an order, 486, 
610. 

Increasing sales at deliv¬ 
ery, 564. 

Influencing all classes, 
478. 

Index, the, p. 13. 

Interviewing ministers, 
630 to 635. 

Introduction, 634. 

Explaining your work, 

630, 634. 

Method of procedure, 

631. 

K 

Keeping in touch with the 
home office, 584. 

Kind of men needed, B. 2, 
p. 18, 31. 



INDEX. 


351 


L 

Lessons on success, 420. 
Letters from appreciative 
readers, 475. 

Letters from boys and 
men, B. I. 

Letter from an English 
girl, B. I. 

Letters from fathers, B. I. 
Letters from mothers, 
B. I. 

Letters from older men, 
B. I. 

Licenses, 588. 

M 

Manner, 428, 439, 449, 

450, 464, 469. 

Medical papers, 649. 

Men and women as can¬ 
vassers, B. 2, p. 19. 
Men canvassing women, 
314, 316. 

Mental attitude, 414. 

In delivery, 554. 
Miscellaneous books, 531, 
591 (15). 

Mothers’ Clubs, 435. 

N 

Neglect of parents, B. I. 

O 

Objections and how to 
meet them, 496, 497, 
498. 

“Book agent cheated 
me once,” 510. 
“Books too small,” 511. 
“Can’t afford it,” 502. 


“Can borrow my neigh¬ 
bor’s book,” 528. 

“Can get book in book 
store,” 512. 

“Can get books in pub¬ 
lic library, 504. 

“Children know too 
much already,” 515. 

“Crops are a failure,” 
530. 

“Don’t believe in tell¬ 
ing children,” 513. 

“Don’t believe in these 
books,” 522. 

“Do not believe in cir¬ 
culation of these 
books,” 521. 

“Don’t want my chil¬ 
dren to know such 
things,” 514. 

“Hard times,” 501. 

“Have a doctor book,” 

505. 

“Have more books than 
I can read,” 529. 

“Have similar books,” 

506. 

“Haven’t time,” 503. 

“How do I know book 
will be as represent¬ 
ed?” 524. 

“I got along without 
knowing. Children 
can, too,” 516. 

“I warn my children of 
all dangers,” 520. 

“Married several years 
—do not need book,” 
612. 

“May not have money 
when you make de¬ 
liveries,” 525. 



352 


INDEX, 


“May take copy when 
you deliver,” 526. 
“My child is too 
young,” 518. 

“My child is only a year 
old,” 519. 

“Must see my hus¬ 
band,” 507. 

“Opposed to buying of 
agents,” 508. 

“School will educate my 
child,” 517. 

“Too busy,” 463. 

“Too many book 
agents,” 509. 

“Will not order today; 
may take one later,” 
527. 

“Why are books not 
printed in cheaper 
form?” 523. 

“Why printed in sep¬ 
arate volumes?” 615, 
619. 

Objections when deliver¬ 
ing, 555, 556, 557, 558. 
No money on hand, 559, 
557. 

Objections, preparing for, 
500. 

One day canvassing rec¬ 
ords, 347. 

One week canvassing rec¬ 
ords, 348. 

Optimism, 450 

Order blanks, 534. 

Order book, 628, 492, 493, 
558. 

Orders, filling of, 533. 

Ordering books, Chapt. II. 

Ordering books without 
money, 545, 544. 


Our personal welcome, p. 
16. 

Outfit, price of, B. 2, p. 

20 . 

Overcoming weariness, 
568, 591 (6). 

P 

Paper announcement, 434. 
“Parental Honesty,” 607. 
Patience, 452. 

Paying qualities of the 
work, 305, 306, 326, 

333, 341, B. 2, p. 28, 
31. 

People to canvass, 573. 
Personal appearance, 447, 
469. 

Personal bearing— 

In delivery, 555. 
Personal methods of the 
canvasser, 584. 
Perseverance, 570. 
Physical culture, Chapt. 
17- 

Importance of, 653, 
421, 428, 566. 
Exercises, 654. 

Time for, 422. 

Results of, 423. 
Physicians— 

Their attitude, 647. 

How to canvass, 648. 
Placing books in libraries, 
632. 

Pleasure in the work, 301, 
308, 323, 330, 334, 349. 
Postal card notices, 563. 
Practising the canvasses, 
459. 

Preparation, 407, 481. 
Time, 408. 




INDEX. 


353 


Method, 408, 409, 410, 
418, 419. 

Mental, Chapt. 3, 448, 
454. 

Physical, Chapt. 4, 
Chapt. 17. 

Preserving your dignity, 
484, 591 (13, 14). 
Press, the, 622. 

Price of books, B. 2, p. 
26, 28, 580, 581, 610, 
620, 632. 

Promissory notes, 562. 
Pulpit announcement, 
433, 634. 

R 

Re-canvassing same ter¬ 
ritory, 589. 

Advantages. 

Testimonials. 

Remittance, form of, 543. 
Requisites of good canvas¬ 
ser, 412. 

Reserve facts, 484. 
Reticence in business, 

591 (8). 

S 

Salutation, 455, 461, 462, 
596, 600, 608. 

Sample books, 580. 
Securing attention of cus¬ 
tomer, 466, 469. 
Securing co-operation of 
others, 578. 

Securing a hearing, 
Chapt. 7 . 

Securing list of church 
members, 443. 

Securing names of cus¬ 
tomers, 460, 486. 


Securing names, 486, 564, 
582, 591 (1), 610, 601, 
602, 637. 

Securing the subscription, 
Chapt. 9. 

Self-confidence, 449, 477. 
Self-control, 497. 
Self-control when deliv¬ 
ering, 556. 

Self-depreciation, 477. 

Self and Sex Series— 

As subscription books, 
307, 310, 311, 314, 
316, 337, B. 2, p. 10, 
11, 28, 29. 

Characteristics, B. 2, p. 
26. 

First book issued, B. 2, 
p. 5. 

Influence of, 650. 

Merits of, 405, 410, 

482, 589, B. 2, p. 27, 
28. 

Need of, 404, 405, 591 . 

(5), 320, B. I. 
Reception of, B. 2, p. 
4, 9. 

Reputation, B. 2, p. 27. 
Selling qualities of 
books, 311, 312, 313, 
319, 321, 326, 329, 
B. 2, p. 10, 28. 
Shipment of books, 535. 
Mail, 536. 

Express, 537. 

C. O. D., 538, 544, 545. 
Freight, 539, 544. 
Consignment, 546. 
Sketches of authors, 
Chapt. 16. 

Soiled books, 580, 455. 
Spare time, 427, 433, 434, 
542, 564, 599. 



354 


INDEX. 


Special physiology, 639. 
Special subscription list, 
489, 608. 

Stall, D. D., Sylvanus— 
Call to the work, B. 2, 
P. 2. 

Preparation, 615, B. 2, 

p. 2. 

Beginning work, B. 2, 
p. 3. 

Biography, 652. 
Studying instruction book, 
page 15, 16, 402, 418, 
419, 427, 445, 481, 594. 
Studying people, 467. 
Individually, 479, 582, 
591 (4), 595. 
Subscription list— 

How to use, 622, 626. 
Success, 401, 420, 459, 
B. 2, p. 18. 

Essentials to p. 15, 342, 
415, 416, 418, 419, 
449, 450, 451, 452, 
453, B. 2, p. 11, 19, 
In moderation, 218. 
Reasons for, 404, 405, 
412, B. 2, p. 26, 27, 
28, 29. 

Sunday School workers, 
637. 

Supplemental canvass of 
“Young Boy,” 607. 
Surety blank, 548, 549, 
430. 

Systematic work, 568, 
671, 691 (3). 

T 

Talking to the point, 473, 
591 (20). 


Teachers— / 

Canvassing of, 435, 604 
to 639. 

Discovering conditions 
in schools, 641. 
Importance of knowl¬ 
edge, 639. 

Influence of, 643. 

Using commendations, 
646. 

Teachers’ method of using 
books, 644. 

Territory, B. 2, p. 22, 23, 
589, 591 (9). 

Testimonials (see com¬ 
mendation). 


Testimonials of canvass¬ 
ers, 553, B. 3. 
Testimonial of teachers, 
640. 


Thoroughness, 573, 591 

(19). 

Examples of, 574. 

Time allowed in canvass¬ 
ing towns, 572, 573. 
Township canvassing, 439. 
Tracing shipments, 540. 
Training of the canvasser, 
B. 2, p. 9, 21, 22. 
Transcribing subscrip¬ 
tions, 493. 

Truthfulness, 451. 


U 

Unpaid bills, 551. 
Using commendations, 
608, 614, 615, 616, 617, 
623, 624. 

Using tables of contents, 
623. 





INDEX. 355 


V 

Vice in schools, 640, 642. 
Vir Publishing Co.— 

Name, B. 2, p. 7. 

Purpose, B. 2, p. 21. j 
Voice, the, 454, 469. 

W 

Weekly report card, 493, 
494. 

What canvassers have 
done, B. 2, p. 11, 12, 
13 ; also B. 3 entire. 
Woman canvassing a 
mother, 607. 

.. .caitaeT 

oS M ,83*3 «e*i® 

-- -y;V . " • . 'j >■ sT 

,043 

.<«> 

,f '5 3 flf*IIUUCQf • 

r.*t ocriT 

XW; S £T3 vsawc? set 
JJSOO rv.0 q.M'.SvfoT 

0*3 saisafT 

tbv;W wfer gefalaiY 
. 5*2 ..JTf 0 G X cO 

«*■ 

U 

<*n*6 ttep-tf 
s ''.an:;? v ' 1 V F 
,?I® '■ 440 .80* 

.1*29 t 8 £» 
te 35 -?as* lalsTF 
.£ 2 ® 


Women canvassing ttien, 
608. 

Women canvassers, 350, 
317. 

W. C. T. U., 435. 

Wood-Allen (M. D.), Mrs. 
Mary, 651. 

“Working" the book, 457. 
Wrappers for books, 680. 

Jk* * 

" : 1 * rsj JiC; 

Young Men’s Christian 
Association, 435, 444. 
Young People’s Societies, 
576. 

Your company, 587. 

MZ ,('i) :m 

c:AU,'. ' : i.'3 
.823 ,SS® ,?~.v *3l woH 
; 0 g^ y 8 

.81 .q <S .a 
Sr.‘f: J - ofr diti £ ••vi. 

xn 

C S3* ,15* .031 ,C>* 

M .q .2 .S ,£3*. 

XfS 'troitotsltaia nX 
,304 ,*0* ,rp*3 vx/vissH 
,T2 SS ,<j ,2 «S ,214 
.02 ,82 

,• isiv'Y? foeifrX’ 4:4*3 

„?e® 

Jfi) ■: ,5 WW S Sir '!■/: Sq<I u8 
,t00 *\y®K 3 a£N>Y* 5 
0 ' ? . 8 *-? „*ci.-5d 

,08* 

,863 ,i.>: ■•? sitei-nfacS 

.18) i«a 413 

T 

,;r* fd* c ■' tfSHaKsT 

.( 02 ) .toe 





















: , 







































































































may 24 1907 





































